


Red Diablo

by bromfieldhall



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-06
Updated: 2012-09-06
Packaged: 2018-02-16 03:11:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2253642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bromfieldhall/pseuds/bromfieldhall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon had been missing from the California Bureau of Investigations for exactly fourteen hours and twenty-seven minutes. She'd gone home for a quick change of clothes and had never come back. </p><p>JANE/LISBON. </p><p>Set after series four finale, sometime in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: "The Mentalist" is copyrighted to CBS and Bruno Heller. I retain rights to the plot, but not the characters. This story is meant for enjoyment purposes only. No infringement is intended.

Senior Agent Teresa Lisbon had been missing from the California Bureau of Investigations for exactly fourteen hours and twenty-seven minutes.

She'd gone home for a quick change of clothes and had never come back.

It had taken her team a couple of hours before they'd realised something wasn't right but by then it'd been too late. Considering the case they were working on, it was way, way too late.

Red John.

They were so, so close to catching him. The serial killer's girl, Lorelei, had finally broken and given them a name. An address. But then the murderer had taken Lisbon and the long battled for information was no longer relevant. He wouldn't be there.

There had been no contact from him, no evidence to prove they were right in their supposition, but the team just knew.

He knew.

Patrick Jane, CBI consultant and mentalist was more certain of that fact than he had been of anything else in his entire, sorry life. And it was all his fault. He should have known that Red John wouldn't give up without trying to push his poor, battered soul just that shade further into Hell.

He glanced at the clock and tried to keep his turbulent emotions at bay. Fourteen hours and twenty-eight minutes. Each second that passed meant less chance of the safe return of his boss and best friend for whom he cared deeply. In reality, twenty minutes would have probably been too long but he refused to let his mind think like that.

There was still hope.

Lisbon's apartment had been clean when they'd searched it. No sign of anything out of place. No sign of that ghastly smiley face drawn in blood. No sign of her. Not dead.

Not yet.

Needing something to occupy him, Jane got up from his old couch in the bullpen and went to the break room to make some tea.

"You OK?" asked a male voice from behind him.

The blond consultant turned to see Kimball Cho, acting Senior Agent in charge leaning against the doorframe, arms folded, face as impassive as ever.

"Just peachy," Jane replied sardonically. "You?"

Cho shrugged then let his arms drop to his sides and entered the room. He didn't need to express how he felt about the situation. Jane could tell just by the weary set of the other man's shoulders coupled with the fear and apprehension in his eyes that he was expecting the worst. They all were.

Naturally, all avenues had been exhausted in their search but as the hours had slowly ticked by, the consultant had eventually realised that there was nothing they could do. Nothing he could do.

It didn't matter how angry or scared he was; how much he'd lashed out at the rest of the team and other law officers in his frustration, it wouldn't change the fact that she was gone and he had no idea of where the killer had taken her or what he'd done to her. He was helpless until Red John either made contact or they found her body.

His stomach lurched unpleasantly at the latter thought and he brought his blue, bone china cup to his lips in an effort to ward off the sick feeling.

Fourteen hours and thirty minutes.

"We have Sac PD watching his house and Lisbon's apartment just in case, but I think he's long gone," Cho said matter-of-factly as he sat down on one of the chairs by the table.

Jane nodded his agreement and took another sip of his tea before joining him. Placing his cup and saucer on the table, he let out a sigh then rubbed his fingers against his temples in order to try and relieve some of his tension.

"You know the boss, she won't go down without a fight," the stoic agent offered by way of some comfort.

Jane looked at him and half smiled. "That's what bothers me," he admitted as he dropped his hands back down to the table. "He'll thrive on her resistance and then…"

He trailed off unable to complete the sentence and hurriedly took another, more lengthy draught of his warm drink as he tried to keep his unwanted memories locked away. He failed. He knew first hand what the bastard could do. Visions of his wife and daughter's lifeless, butchered bodies invaded his mind. To think that that could be happening to Lisbon, right now…right as he sat there and drank tea, doing nothing…

The cup clattered loudly in the quiet room as he placed it down rather more fiercely than he'd intended, causing the fragile saucer underneath to crack and break apart. Just like his heart, he mused dejectedly, staring at the broken china as though unable to comprehend what he'd done.

Cho watched him for a few moments, easily reading the other man for a change. He knew the situation was affecting him worse than he outwardly showed. Knew there was a deeper connection between the consultant and his boss than perhaps even they realised…or acknowledged. He wasn't blind. He saw the way they interacted together, the bickering, the playfulness; their wordless exchanges…the way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't aware. He saw the love.

Standing up, he hesitated a moment then briefly placed his hand on Jane's shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze. The blond didn't seem to notice his touch, his gaze fixed firmly on the pieces of broken saucer.

"Let me know if you have any contact," the agent ordered as he removed his hand. At the consultant's silence, he added in a louder voice, "Jane! Did you hear me?"

The blond started slightly then dragged his eyes from the china to look at the agent and nod.

"Good. No running off on your own. We do this together. Understood?"

Again, Jane nodded and Cho let out a small huff of irritation as he walked away. If there was one thing he could always count on Patrick Jane to do, it was to not follow orders. He'd have to make sure he kept an eye on him at all times. There was no way he'd let Jane face Red John alone.

If Lisbon were in any way injured…or worse, he'd take that son of a bitch out himself.

Alone again, Jane roused himself enough to clear away the mess in front of him then sat back down. He didn't want to go back into the bullpen. Usually the noise was a welcome distraction but at that moment it just served to grate on his already taut nerves. His gaze darted to the clock, ticking relentlessly away.

Fourteen hours and thirty-three minutes.

Letting out a long sigh, he felt the helplessness of the situation start to close in on him. The inevitability of the outcome was suffocating him and he began to take deep breaths in order to try and calm himself down. Panicking at a time like this would get him nowhere. He couldn't let Lisbon down. He needed to think.

Think, think, think!

He desperately tried to concentrate on devising a clever plan to draw Red John out, but his brain was having none of it. It decided it was going to torture him instead by perfectly imagining every slice and cut that the serial killer would undoubtedly make on the beautiful, green-eyed agents body.

Feeling sickened, the atmosphere around him became hot and cloying and he stood up suddenly, the chair screeching loudly across the floor in his haste to get outside for some much-needed fresh air. He had just passed the bullpen when he realised his cellphone was ringing and he hurriedly pulled it out of his jacket pocket, his heart leaping with hope when he saw the name written there.

"Lisbon?!"

The low chuckle that responded to his urgent greeting had his stomach drop at an alarming rate as he realised who was on the other end of the line.

"How optimistic, Patrick," the man's voice goaded lightly. "Did you really think that Agent Lisbon would be in any fit state to call you when I've had her all to myself for this long?"

Jane tried to ignore the mental imagery of the killer's suggestion and took in a deep breath to steady himself. "Where is she?" he finally asked, relieved to sound reasonably normal. He couldn't show any weakness.

"She's here with me at her apartment. Would you like to say hello?"

The consultant's clipped reply of, "Yes," died on his lips when the sound of a raspy, gurgling assailed his ears. "Lisbon?" he whispered as the painful tone of someone trying to breathe came again. Fear crawled up his throat, threatening to choke him but he determinedly repeated her name a little louder in the desperate hope that she would at least hear him. "Lisbon, I'm coming to get you. Do you hear me? I'm coming. Hold on. Just…hold on."

"Better be quick, Patrick," came Red John's sing-song voice back down the phone. "Losing another woman you adore would be just plain…careless."

The call clicked off and Jane's vision swam hazily for a second before he blinked rapidly to clear it. Without a thought for back-up, he quickly took off towards the stairs taking them two at a time in his haste to get out of the building.

He'd told her he'd always save her and he meant to keep that promise. He wouldn't fail her now. He couldn't.

In the bullpen Cho and the rest of the team, Grace Van Pelt and Wayne Rigsby, had stopped what they were doing as soon as they'd heard Jane say Lisbon's name. Mutely signalling to the other two to do the same, Cho holstered his gun and grabbed his jacket.

"Let's go," Cho commanded urgently when the consultant suddenly took flight.

The other agents did as they were told and were soon in the teams' SUV tailing the consultants' light blue classic Citroen DS as he speedily weaved his way through the sparse evening traffic.

"Looks like he's going to Lisbon's apartment," Van Pelt observed.

"Yeah," Cho concurred before grimly instructing, "Call for back-up and an ambulance." He briefly glanced over at the man beside him. "Rigsby, see if Sac PD have heard anything from their guys staking her place."

"On it."

Cho concentrated on the road ahead, swerving suddenly and slamming on the brakes when a car cut right across his path at an intersection. Muttering a few choice words, he quickly drove on and realised that he could no longer see Jane's car. A faint grimace crossed his usually expressionless face as he put his foot harder down on the gas pedal. He had a good idea of awaited Jane at Lisbon's apartment and he really didn't want the consultant to have to go through that pain alone twice in one lifetime.

They finally arrived a few minutes later to find the Citroen parked halfway on the sidewalk, keys still in the ignition and door open wide. The consultant had obviously not wasted any time. Cho told Van Pelt to check on the surveillance detail then motioned to Rigsby to follow him.

Stealthily, they trotted up to Lisbon's open door, guns raised. Cho looked at his colleague who gave him a nod back then they quietly went inside.

END CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

Jane drove recklessly through the Sacramento traffic desperate to reach Lisbon's apartment. Despite the age and size of the lumbering vehicle he chose to drive, he handled it with a practised ease. 'Hold on, hold on,' was the mantra running through his head as he felt the panic surge within him once again.

Red John taking Lisbon had always been his biggest fear and was why he'd resolutely tried to keep his distance from her. True, there had been moments when he simply couldn't help himself, when he'd needed her too much to back away, but mostly he'd thought he'd done enough.

Obviously he'd been completely wrong.

He took the corner into her road at such a pace, the old car skidded and lurched drunkenly before righting itself. It wasn't made for the kind of driving he was subjecting it to but he'd worry about that later. Reaching her apartment block, he went up the kerb in a semblance of parking then cut the engine and got out.

Breaking into a sprint, he was panting heavily from fear and exertion by the time he reached Lisbon's door, which was ajar. Hearing no sound from within, he pushed it open and entered quietly. The inside of the apartment was dim and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust properly. He walked further into the room then noticed a faint glow emanating from the stairs and headed over. Climbing them quickly he hastened towards, what he surmised, was the bedroom that the light was coming from only to stop suddenly in front of the slightly open door.

He'd been in this position before, many, many years ago. Dread seized him over what he knew may lay beyond and the palms of his hands suddenly felt damp. He automatically wiped them down his jacket and tried to get some kind of control over his emotions. He needed to be strong for her. He needed to be calm.

As if in slow motion, he reached out and pushed open the door then stepped inside Lisbon's bedroom. The lamp from the bedside cabinet gave off a muted glow from the far side of the room, the tendrils of soft light not quite reaching the walls, leaving them in darkness.

It was completely silent and there was blood. Lots and lots of blood.

Drawing in a sharp breath, his stomach rolled over queasily and he slumped heavily against the doorframe when he saw her petite body laying on the red, soaked sheets of her bed. Her feet were bare and she was still wearing the same clothes she'd had on when he'd last seen her. Her head was turned away from him, her mass of hair splayed out untidily across the pillows and obscuring her face.

Above the bed was Red John's bloody signature.

Closing his eyes against the sight, he bowed his head and tried to breathe. He couldn't believe it. This wasn't meant to happen. Not to her. Not because of him.

A soft sound came from behind and before he knew what was happening an arm wrapped tightly around his chest and a knife was placed at his throat.

"Oh dear, late again, Patrick?" came a nasally voice close to his left ear. "This is becoming a very unfortunate habit of yours."

Jane automatically grabbed at the serial killers arm, more for purchase than from any real thought of escape. He felt no fear, just resignation. What was there to live for now?

The murderer sighed. "It was always going to come to this, Patrick. You know that, don't you? You took my girl, so I took yours…turnabout is fair play, after all."

"She wasn't my girl," the blond denied, his eyes fixing on the farthest part of the room so as not to look at the bed…her lifeless body again.

Red John laughed softly. "Of course she was," he refuted lightly. "And I must thank you, Patrick. Teresa was the best I've had in years. So feisty and defiant. I can see your attraction."

"Go to Hell!" Jane retorted, feeling the first stirrings of anger at the careless use of her given name.

"There is no Hell, you know that as well as I do," he replied evenly. There was a pause, then his insidious voice continued to goad, "She smelled good too. Just like your wife and child, Patrick. And Kristina. Teresa was coffee and mint and…" he stopped again to inhale deeply before adding, "You."

Jane let out a small choking sound as the killers words brought a flash of he and Lisbon hugging right before she left, to his minds eye. He'd used a silly, nonsensical excuse to hold her to him just because he'd wanted to see her smile. It had worked and he realised that he'd been keeping the memory at bay all these hours just hoping against hope that it wouldn't be the last good one he'd ever have of her.

But it was.

The surge of rage that flowed through him suddenly at that realisation injected a burst of adrenalin that had him jerk his elbow back hard into the gut of the killer.

"I'm going to kill you, you sick son of a bitch," he ground out as Red John's grip loosened enough for him to break free and turn around. A trickle of blood rolled slowly down his neck where the tip of the blade had nicked him, but he didn't notice the pain. He only felt hate and desire for revenge.

Seeing the murderer doubled over from where he'd hit him, he took the advantage and shoved him hard back against the dark corridor wall, enjoying the grunt of pain the other man elicited at the impact. Just as Jane raised his fist and threw a punch though, Red John unexpectedly righted himself and simultaneously lunged with his knife. The consultant let out a hiss of pain as the blade sliced across the top of his forearm and he staggered backwards until he hit the opposite wall. The adrenalin evaporated just as suddenly as it had flared and he panted harshly as his limbs abruptly felt weak. Grimacing, he clasped his other hand over the cut to try to stem the flow of blood and looked up to see the killer advancing. Involuntarily, he pulled back, pushing himself flat against the wall, concern etching his features. Bracing himself for the worst, a detached calm overcame him as he watched Red John draw closer, knife raised.

Cho and Rigsby silently made their way through Lisbon's apartment. Up above them they heard the murmuring of voices and quickly made their way to the stairs. Just as they were about to ascend, the sound of a fight broke out. In the dim light, Cho indicated that he'd go first and hurried up the stairs with Rigsby close behind.

At the top they saw Red John come to a halt in front of Jane with knife raised. Cho touched his hand to Rigsby's chest so that he knew to stay put then stealthily moved towards the other two men. He took aim, ready to shoot if the need arose. Personally he hoped that it would. The psycho was going to die anyway, it wouldn't hurt if he were the one to carry out the sentence.

As he got closer, he was disappointed to see the murderer lower his knife then smile and begin to speak. His blood chilled at the obvious glee Red John took from baiting Jane.

"I'm not going to kill you, Patrick. You're too much fun to have around. And now Teresa's gone, you'll sink lower and lower than you ever have before and I'll be waiting to catch you at the bottom, my friend."

"Not if we catch you first, you won't," Cho interjected firmly. He couldn't watch the consultant go through anymore. He looked about ready to break as it was. "Put the knife down."

He moved slowly forward, his gun trained on Red John the whole time. He came level with the bedroom door and glanced inside, a slight tightening of his mouth his only reaction to what he'd seen.

Red John looked at the agent and grinned as he slowly made a show of holding up the blade. Seconds later, he brought it down in a vicious arc towards Jane's chest. Cho reacted quickly. Two shots rang out and the killer fell to the ground at the consultant's feet.

Jane looked down the Red John's body in shock. It was too much to take in. First Lisbon and now Red John. His body started to shake but he felt numb as his knees gave out and he slumped unceremoniously to the floor. Staring ahead vacantly, Cho's voice sounded as if it were coming from far, far away through loads and loads of cotton wool. He couldn't understand anything the agent said.

His mind was awhirl with everything that had happened over the past ten years. Dozens of thoughts tripped over each other in their desperate need to be addressed or, at the very least, recognised. Memories of his wife and child intertwined with those of Kristina Frye and Lisbon. The people he had cared for and hadn't saved. All the guilt. All the pain and denial. All the times he'd kept people…Lisbon at arm's length. What good had it done her? It was his fault. He should have been stronger. Shouldn't have fallen in love. It was pressing in on him from every side and his brain was starting to shut down under the massive emotional overload.

He sensed someone beside him, trying to get his attention. Right on the outer edges of his mind, he knew they were saying something very important but his brain was refusing to co-operate as it suddenly became focussed on one thought and one thought only.

'I failed.'

END CHAPTER 2


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as the shots were fired, Rigsby turned on the hallway lights and hurried towards Cho and Jane. "You OK?" he asked as he came to stand next to his colleague.

"Yeah," Cho replied as he dropped to one knee and grabbed the consultant by his shoulders to look into his glazed eyes. "Jane? Jane? Can you hear me?" When he didn't even get a flicker of response, he gave the man a firm shake. Nothing. "He's in shock."

"He's not the only one," Rigsby replied with feeling. He glanced at the bedroom but had to look away quickly.

Cho ignored him and turned to the downed serial killer to check his throat for a pulse. It was weak but it was there. Unhappy with himself for not finishing the job, he knew he'd have to swallow down the disappointment and get the murderer help. Life just wasn't fair at times. "He's still alive."

"Bastard," Rigsby choked out, his gaze gravitating again to the open doorway of Lisbon's bedroom and the carnage that lay within. "I say let him die."

"Me too, but the law's the law."

"I won't tell if you won't," the tall man assured him.

"Lisbon would've wanted it done right," Cho replied as he stood up. "We owe her that."

Rigsby dragged his eyes away from the bloody tableau then sighed and nodded, knowing his friend was right but hating the idea of giving any kind of help to the man that had butchered their boss. They suddenly heard the sound of distant sirens, slowly getting louder and louder as they neared.

Cho glanced over at the bedroom door knowing he couldn't put off going in there any longer. "You stay here with Jane. Call Van Pelt and make sure she gets the paramedic's up here as soon as they arrive," he directed flatly as moved away. "I'll go in and…" He trailed off, unable to complete his thought.

Rigsby signalled that he understood the need for someone to make an I.D. and was just glad it wasn't him. Sitting down on the floor next to the consultant, he pulled out his cellphone to make the call while keeping an eye on Red John and taking a closer look at Jane's wounded arm. As he spoke to Van Pelt, rapidly explaining all that had taken place, he waved a hand in front of Jane's face but the blond simply stared straight ahead without expression.

It was unnerving. He wasn't used to Jane being so quiet and motionless. He just hoped the man was still in there somewhere because they couldn't do with losing him too.

Cho stepped into the softly lit bedroom and stopped for a moment to gather his composure. He'd never balked at doing his job before and he wasn't about to now…he just needed a few seconds. Pulling his shoulders back, he straightened up then walked over to the other side of the bed and looked down at her body. He hesitated briefly again, then reached out to slowly pull back some of the blood-matted hair from her face.

His body sagged as relief flowed through him and he let out a long breath. Letting go of the unknown woman's hair, he strode back out of the room and almost smiled.

"It's not her," he told Rigsby, his voice carrying a slight waver. He cleared his throat and tried again. "It's not Lisbon."

Rigsby looked stunned. "What? Then where is she? And who's that?"

"I don't know, but he does," he said, gesturing to the murderer who, as if knowing he were being talked about, suddenly let out a soft groan of pain and a weak cough as he moved his head. A thin trail of blood started to seep out of the side of his mouth and rolled down his cheek.

The sound of the sirens drew even nearer, drowning out the labouring breaths of the killer that had started once he'd regained some consciousness. Cho knew time was of the essence if they were to get any information before he was taken away. Knowing there was only one person who would be able to elicit a response from the badly injured killer he knelt back down in front of Jane and tapped his face a couple of times.

"Jane! Snap out of it. Jane!"

When there was still no response, Cho drew his arm back and gave the consultant's cheek a hefty slap. The smack echoed loudly in the corridor and even Rigsby winced at the blow. It had the desired effect though when Jane eye's blinked rapidly as though coming out of a trance.

"Can you hear me, Jane?"

The blond nodded, fighting through the thick fog that had surrounded him and back to full awareness. "Yes," he murmured. "I can hear you, Cho."

"Good. It's not Lisbon in there and Red John is still alive, I need you to get him to talk. Now. We don't have much time. Can you do that?"

The words were delivered so quickly and matter-of-factly that they didn't quite register in Jane's still, slightly muddled brain. But when they did everything suddenly came back into sharp focus.

"It's not her?" he questioned, staring at Cho warily as he tried to get a read on him.

"No."

The simple, honest answer had Jane briefly shut his eyes and heave a shuddering sigh of relief.

"I know you've got a lot to take in but the paramedics and half of Sac PD and CBI are going to be here in a few minutes. They'll take Red John away so you need to get answers now, Jane," Cho reminded him, an edge of urgency colouring the normally unflappable agent's tone.

Jane immediately opened his eyes and sat up straight, giving the other man a nod. He could do this; he could lock down all the rampant emotions he was feeling and focus on the now. Calm. Composed.

Turning his head, he looked down at Red John lying beside him and found that the irony of the situation wasn't lost on him. After years and years of plotting how he'd end the serial killers life and distancing himself from those he cared about in order to ensure that happened, he was now hoping against hope that the bastard didn't die because his desperate desire to find Lisbon, shockingly, far outweighed his thirst for revenge.

If ever he needed confirmation of just how deep he'd fallen for his prickly boss, there it was in bright red lettering a mile high.

Shifting onto his knees he braced his left arm at the side of the evil killers head then in leaned closer. "Where is she, you son of a bitch?" he asked, his soft tone belying the harshness of his words. "Where's Lisbon?"

Red John's eyes flickered a few times then finally stayed open, latching onto Jane's gaze. He remained silent apart from his harsh breathing.

"I know she isn't dead. You wouldn't have set this whole thing up if she was," he continued, watching the other man's eyes carefully for a reaction. There was a tiny flicker of…triumph and Jane leaned in even closer as he started to realise something. "This was the start of something bigger, wasn't it? A long con. Just like I did to you. I took your girl, so you took mine…" He trailed off as the murderer's earlier words came back to haunt him. Shaking his head, he gave the killer a cruel smile. "Well, you failed because you're dead and I'm alive and I will find Lisbon, whether you talk to me or not. And once I do find her, I will forget about you."

As he spoke, Red John had slowly smiled back at him as if relishing what he'd heard him say. Knowing there was no use in restraining himself anymore, Jane finally let some of his anger free and placed his right hand on the killers bloody chest then pushed down hard as he made to stand up. It was a vicious, pointless act that the consultant enjoyed even though it didn't do his own injury any favours. It was worth it.

Red John's breath stuttered at the agonising pain and he closed his eyes again, beginning to wheeze. Satisfied, Jane started to rise from his kneeling position but Red John's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed onto the lapel of his jacket, holding it surprisingly tightly.

The blond gasped, caught unawares but went willingly as the killer pulled his favourite puppet on a string back closer to him one last time. "Pat…rick," he rasped, his voice barely above a strained whisper. Jane moved in further, turning his head so that his ear was near the killer's mouth in order to hear what he had to say.

The sirens were right outside now and they could hear the sounds of people entering the apartment.

"Jane," Cho cautioned, taking a small step forward. It appeared the paramedics wouldn't make it in time anyway. Every second counted now.

Jane pulled back from Red John and the hand on his jacket flopped to the ground as the killer let out a long, rasping sigh of death. The consultant slowly stood up and looked down at the dead man, his expression pained.

"What did he say?" asked Rigsby.

Jane was prevented from answering when there was a flurry of activity as policemen and paramedics suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs and rushed over to them. Cho took charge of the situation and they moved out of the way to allow the medic's to work fruitlessly on Red John's body.

Jane watched everything impassively, only acquiescing to Cho's urging to get his arm looked at once the serial killer was officially pronounced dead. With the merest hint of a sad smile touching his lips, he headed out of the apartment without a single glance backwards, Cho's, "And don't even think about leaving," ringing in his ears.

Once outside, he inhaled sharply as though gasping for much needed air and looked around himself in growing panic. The words Red John had spoken to him before he'd died kept running over and over in his brain and every which way he looked at it, it always seemed to come back to the same answer. He drew in another long breath and rubbed his hands over his face as his mind rejected his conclusion time and again. He wasn't going to lose her that way. Not her. Not his strong, caring, angry, lovely Lisbon. He couldn't.

"Jane? Are you OK?" came Van Pelt's voice as she gently touched his arm.

He looked back at her a little wildly and determinedly reigned back in his control when he saw her concern. "I'm fine," he said after a few seconds. "It's…just my arm…"

Van Pelt screwed up her face in mild disgust when she saw the wound and gestured towards an ambulance. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Jane followed behind, head down as he concentrated on his breathing. Bringing to bear all his years of practise at perfectly honing his skills, he was almost back to his normal self by the time the reached the paramedics. Almost…but not quite.

Van Pelt sat beside him in the ambulance as he silently allowed the female medic to take off his jacket and cut the arm of his shirtsleeve to enable her better access. He felt a flash of irritation at the careless destruction of the garment then gritted his teeth at the first dab of antiseptic. They were nearly done when Cho and Rigsby appeared by the open doors.

"How you feeling?" asked Cho as he stood, hands on hips, taking everything in.

"OK," Jane replied, wincing slightly at the sting of the antiseptic in a particularly deep part of the cut. "But for some reason my cheek is really hurting." He moved his jaw left to right with a grimace and Rigsby looked down, holding back a smile.

"Huh," came Cho's succinct response causing Jane to eye him suspiciously. "So, what did Red John say to you?"

The consultant looked down as his body jolted slightly at the direct question. Trust Cho not to beat about the bush. "She's gone," he whispered sadly.

"What?" Cho queried, puzzled.

Jane sighed and looked back up at the agent, the misery plain to see on his face. "That's what he said. 'She's gone.'"

Cho folded his arms and stared at him for a moment, simply processing his words. "I'm guessing he wasn't just stating the obvious?"

Jane shook his head then closed his eyes against the unexpected moisture that threatened to spill and bowed his head again. "I think he's done to her what he did to Kristina. You should start the search at all the mental health facilities in the immediate area," he advised, his voice breaking slightly. "He would have wanted to keep her close by, just for the fun of it."

Van Pelt and Rigsby let out a horrified gasp while Cho muttered a curse and ran a hand through his cropped hair in an uncharacteristic show of agitation.

"You're going to need stitches," the paramedic interrupted apologetically. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Jane didn't even respond.

Cho looked at Van Pelt. "You go with him and bring him back to the CBI when you're done, OK? Don't leave him alone."

The redhead nodded and gently took hold of the consultant's hand to offer what little comfort she could. He gave her hand a slight squeeze back in acknowledgment then the paramedic jumped in next to the blond and pulled the doors closed behind her.

Cho and Rigsby watched the ambulance drive off then turned away, thinking over what Jane had said.

"You really think the boss is catatonic in some institution somewhere?" Rigsby asked in disbelief.

Cho shook his head. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "She hasn't made any contact so something's preventing her and it's either what Jane thinks or Red John's got her tied up somewhere remote and left her to die. Neither option has the potential to end well."

Rigsby nodded his agreement. "I'll go back to the office and make a start on those phone calls."

"OK, I'll just finish up here."

Rigsby hurried over to the SUV and got in. As he drove back to the CBI headquarters he couldn't help producing a mental picture of Lisbon sitting in a small, white room, just vacantly staring into space. He gave a shudder and couldn't help the fleeting thought that maybe finding her dead in her apartment would've been better after all.

xTheMentalistx

The police car came to a slow halt by the side of the road and Officer Meyer alighted from the driver's side to take a look at the vehicle that he'd pulled up behind. The evening air was warm and his hand rested lightly on the handle of the firearm at his hip as he walked over to the driver's window and looked in.

An auburn haired woman was slumped back in her seat with her eyes closed.

"Ma'am? Ma'am? Can you hear me?"

A low groan met his ears and the woman moved her head, a frown marring her pretty features as she slowly woke up.

"Are you OK, Ma'am?" the officer tried again.

Her eyes opened slowly, revealing their colour to be a soft green and she looked about herself in confusion before noticing the cop. "Where am I?" she asked, somewhat croakily.

"You're just outside of Diablo. Can I see your driver's licence please?"

The woman nodded then retrieved the licence from her purse and handed to the policeman.

"Sarah Parsons; Sacramento," he read out before turning away and radioing in her details. A couple of minutes later he was leaning by her window again and handed back her licence. "You can't sleep here, I'm afraid, Ms. Parsons. There's a motel a couple of miles down the road. I can follow you if you're tired."

Sarah nodded, still feeling a little disorientated and as though something wasn't quite right, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Determinedly brushing it aside, she started the engine and headed off down the road with the policeman in tow. It was probably just some residual guilt over how she'd left things with her ex. Whatever it was, it could take a number. She'd just gotten out of a bad relationship and now she was heading to a new town with a new job and a new life.

She was looking forward to it and if there was one thing she knew for certain, it was that she was never going to set foot in Sacramento ever again.

END CHAPTER 3


	4. Chapter 4

Jane walked into the bullpen glad to finally be back. Once he'd reached the hospital, he'd pulled himself together enough to annoy practically everyone there into doing what they had to do to get rid of him quickly. His arm was now stitched up and sported a bandage that had to remain on for the next week. The cut on his neck had been cleaned but left uncovered in order for it to heal quicker.

Van Pelt had called for another agent to pick them up and take them back to the office but she'd insisted on making a stop at his motel in order for him to change into fresh clothes. He'd balked at wasting the time but Van Pelt had ignored his protestations and told him to simply hurry up.

The female agent sat down at her desk while Jane headed over to Cho but stopped midway across the floor when he realised that the man wasn't there. He looked around quickly and noticed the agent was in Lisbon's office. He walked over then came to a halt in the doorway. He hadn't been in there since Lisbon had gone missing, it'd felt like some kind of violation. Seeing Cho sitting in her chair seemed so wrong. Yes, he'd taken over Lisbon's role before, but Jane had always known where she was, knew it was only temporary. Now, it just made the outcome seem so…final.

Cho looked up from the report he was writing and gestured for him to enter. Jane did so, slowly, then sat down in the chair opposite the agent. "Anything?" he asked quietly, dreading the answer but having to know it all the same.

"Nothing," Cho replied, looking a little frustrated. "Either their patients don't match Lisbon's description or they haven't had an admittance in the last twenty-four hours."

"We'll have to widen the search then," the consultant decided.

"Rigsby's already on it. We also have to look at other possible scenario's. Red John may have hidden her somewhere."

"No," Jane replied immediately, shaking his head. "That would be too easy. He wanted to drag me down to where he thought I'd been when he sent Lorelei. That's what this was all about. It was his way of getting me to actually break for real." He paused and rubbed a weary hand across his brow before looking down and adding almost to himself, "He knew taking her from me would be the only thing that could."

An uncomfortable air settled between the two men at Jane's confession but the consultant was too tired and too damned scared to care. He'd never been more frightened for anyone else in his life before than he was now for Lisbon. So what if he briefly allowed some of his feelings to show? He was human after all. Just a man, not infallible. And he was a man that was hurting, badly, however much he tried to hide it inside.

Cho shifted awkwardly in his seat a moment. He could understand what Jane must be going through. He was worried sick too, but he didn't have the added complexity of actually being in love with his boss. The thought that Lisbon was dead, then alive but possibly just a shell of the woman she once was…it bothered him a lot, God knew just how much it was eating Jane alive but if they were going to find Lisbon, he really needed the consultant to be back on his game. It wasn't going to be pretty, but he knew a way to do it.

"We still have to cover all our bases," he finally said, bringing their conversation back round to safer ground. "Plus, I've spoken to Missing Persons and they're going to allow us an extra forty eight hours goodwill period before they officially take the over the case."

Cho felt surge of satisfaction when Jane's head jerked up, anger alight in his eyes. "Missing Persons?" he repeated incredulously. "What has any of this got to do with them?"

"Lisbon's missing."

"No, she's been abducted," Jane contradicted, drawing the words out slowly as if he were talking to a child. "Which is a serious crime and should stay in our jurisdiction."

"Officially, it's out of my hands."

"So, what? You'll just simply hand the 'case' over and forget about her? Is that what you're telling me?" Jane demanded, his ire rising along with his voice. He suddenly stood up and leaned forward across the desk, getting right into the other man's personal space. "Because let me tell you something, Agent Cho, I will never give up until I find her, do you understand? It's my fault that bastard targeted her and when I find her, no matter how far gone she is, or how hopeless it seems, I will visit her every single damn day for as long as it takes until I get her back…and I will get her back, I promise you that!"

Cho stared back at him for a moment, completely unfazed by his outburst. "Good," he agreed affably before looking back down and continuing his report.

Effectively dismissed, Jane pulled back and stood staring down at the Asian man's bent head, hands clenched at his side as he silently fumed. He turned and strode to the door debating whether to slam it shut behind him for good measure when it hit him what Cho had done.

For the first time since Lisbon had gone missing, he was finally focussed. His normally tightly held emotions had been wavering all over the place while he'd desperately tried to chase after them and gather them back in. Now, his head was clear. He knew what he had to do. Felt the purpose thrumming through his system as surely as his blood flowed. He had a new goal and it was one he would follow as tenaciously as he had Red John for all those years.

He halted with his hand on the doorknob and turned his head back towards the room slightly, his anger at the other man melting away as gratitude took its place. "Who drove my car back?" he asked lightly.

"I did. It was horrible."

Jane nodded and smiled. "Good."

He left the office, shutting the door quietly behind him, and headed for the break room. He needed a cup of tea. He frowned slightly as he remembered that he'd broken his saucer but brewed himself a hot drink anyway. Taking just the cup back to the bullpen, he sat down on his couch and sipped his tea.

Rigsby let out a long sigh and ran a weary hand over his face before leaning back and stretching. It was approaching midnight and he was exhausted. He'd widened the search from the immediate vicinity and was also including any of the smaller institutions. The list was long and he hadn't even got halfway through yet.

"Why don't you go home and get some rest?" Jane suggested from his spot on the couch. "I doubt you'll get much response from anyone at this time of night anyway."

It was the truth but Rigsby shook his head. "I'm fine. I want to keep checking. At least I can email the one's that aren't answering and get replies in the morning. I don't want to waste any more time."

Jane nodded and looked over to where Van Pelt was yawning. "How about you, Grace? Go and get some sleep, you look exhausted."

"I'm OK, I just need a coffee," she refuted with a small smile.

He watched the redhead go to the break room and come back a few minutes later. In quiet contemplation, he observed the agents resume their tasks and felt a flash of gratitude at the loyalty and caring the team displayed for Lisbon. He knew it would be trite to say anything aloud but mentally he thanked them.

Finishing his tea, he got up and placed it on his unused desk then went over to Rigsby. "How far are you widening the search to?"

"Anything within a one to two hour time radius. I'm including all medical centres, just in case. I'm estimating that would have given Red John enough time to grab the boss, do…whatever he did and take her somewhere but still have enough time to take the Jane Doe too and get back here."

"He may have had her already," the consultant pointed out. "He must have been planning this for a long while."

"But, there's no fingerprint match on our system so she's not flagged as a Missing Person which means she couldn't have been missing that long," Van Pelt interjected.

"That's true," Jane allowed as he placed his forefinger to his mouth and tapped it gently, deep in thought. "But I'd bet he was already watching her. How long before we get an I.D.?"

"The M.E. and forensics are dealing with it now. High priority. It'll probably be a few more hours before we get a name."

They seemed to have covered everything that they could for now so Jane turned back to Rigsby and held out his hand. "Give me the list. I'll call, you email."

xTheMentalistx

Sarah awoke with a gasp and sat up straight in bed, breathing heavily. There was a slight sheen of sweat to her brow as she frantically looked around her motel room, feeling a sense of panic rising within her. Seeing where she was, she closed her eyes and attempted to slow down her breathing.

It was just a dream.

A bad dream. The usual, 'just keeping ahead of your pursuer' type of nightmare that always gave her a scare.

She hadn't seen his face, just heard his urgent calls for her to stop. But she hadn't and it didn't matter because he wasn't even calling her name, he was calling for someone else…

She frowned slightly as she tried to remember whom but instantly then felt the beginnings of a headache coming on. She groaned then flopped back on the bed and pulled her covers over her head. With a small sigh, she let her dream go and settled down to sleep.

xTheMentalistx

The team worked through the night, taking turns to catch the odd nap on Lisbon's couch and by the early hours of the morning, all the hospitals within the radius had been contacted. Now it became a waiting game, something that Jane had never been very good at.

At the insistence of Van Pelt he finally took a turn at having a nap. He eventually fell asleep and was, what seemed like mere minutes later, awoken by a firm shake to his arm.

"We've got a hit," said Cho, looking down at him grimly. "Woman matching Lisbon's description admitted to Sac County early this morning after being found wandering the streets. They're doing a psych evaluation on her now. Let's go."

Jane immediately got up, blinking rapidly to remove the last vestiges of sleep and followed the agent out. He'd been dreading this moment and now, here it was…he just hoped he didn't fall apart.

xTheMentalistx

Sarah hurriedly finished her breakfast and headed out of the motel. She was having an induction for her new telemarketing job that morning and then she planned to spend the afternoon looking for an apartment.

It was a beautiful day and she wound down the windows of her car as soon as she got in. Feeling nervous at what lay in store, she checked the directions in her welcome letter and left the parking lot, driving towards the other side of town. Turning on her radio, she flicked through a few channels until the smooth strains of a soothing jazz number filled the air. For some reason she felt compelled to listen and soon all her trepidation just seemed to melt away.

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into the office parking lot and got out. Looking up at the multi-storied building, she smiled.

"Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life," she murmured to herself, and with a little burst of anticipation she entered the building.

xTheMentalistx

"It wasn't her," Cho informed Rigsby over the phone as he and Jane got back in the SUV. "Yeah, I know," he replied to whatever his colleague had said. More silence then, "OK, we'll be back soon. Let me know if you get any other leads." He shut his cell with a snap and turned to look at the man sitting quietly next to him. "You, OK?"

Jane gave a little start as though he'd forgotten Cho was there. "Yes…yes, I'm fine. That was just…"

"Yeah." A moment later Cho started the car and headed back to the CBI. "Rigsby said they had an I.D. for the Jane Doe. Her name was Laura Taylor. Lived in Danville. The local police are informing her family."

Jane nodded absently as he stared out the passenger window and Cho decided to put the radio on to fill the quiet. The news that Red John had been caught and killed was rife on all wavelengths but when they mentioned Lisbon's name, Cho quickly turned it off again. He didn't want to hear it so he was pretty sure that Jane didn't either.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, Jane deep in thought. There had to be something he was missing. 'She's gone', the killer had said. He'd have staked his life on being right about her turning up catatonic but that wasn't proving the case. He should have found her by now if that's what Red John had done to her…so he must have done something else instead. But what? 'She's gone.' Not dead, but gone.

Gone.

They reached the office and Jane spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon lying on his couch, puzzling over the conundrum. The rest of the team chased up the hospitals that hadn't replied until there were none. As the consultant had begun to suspect, not one of them had admitted Lisbon.

He ignored all the speculation from the rest of the team about how their boss was being held against her will as he was certain as ever that that wasn't the case. His non-committal, "Meh," at their suppositions earned him a couple of glares but he remained unmoved. He had his suspicions of 'what' really had happened to her but not the 'why' and until he understood that, he was going to keep his thoughts to himself.

As it happened the consultant didn't have to wait long. A call came in late that afternoon. As soon as he heard the details, all the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place and filled him with a sense of dread.

A girl had been brutally murdered using a knife and a familiar cutting pattern.

And on the wall above her bed was a large, red smiley face, drawn in the victim's own blood.

Jane knew Red John had to have had something else planned. He always had a Plan B. And this one appeared to be reaching from beyond the grave but Jane knew better. With a sudden internal calm, he mentally accepted the challenge.

A new game had begun.

END CHAPTER 4


	5. Chapter 5

Jane let out a weary sigh as he dipped his teabag the correct number of times before dumping it in the trash and carrying his newly acquired cup and saucer back towards the bullpen. It was the first time the whole team had been back in the office together for five days. Ever since that first call had come in about the murder with the bloody, smiley face daubed on the wall, there had been four more just like it from different towns all over California. Blue Lake, Porterville, Gridley, Plymouth and Willow Creek. Out of the five murders so far, three of the killers had committed suicide and one had been shot trying to evade capture, the fifth from Willow Creek was still at large.

As he entered the bullpen, he lifted his cup to take a sip of tea but paused when he saw Cho, Rigsby and Van Pelt all staring back at him. They were lined up leaning against the female agents desk, arms folded and looking stern.

He slowly lowered his cup and tried for a smile. He'd known some kind of confrontation was coming and couldn't really blame them. He'd been deliberately not talking about Lisbon and although he knew they cared for her too, he really hadn't wanted to share anything with them until he'd got something more concrete to offer. It seemed as though that wasn't going to be the case.

"Spill", ordered Cho, breaking the silence.

Jane briefly spread his arms apart slightly and looked down at himself in studied concern. "Really? I don't see anything," he replied, being deliberately obtuse as he looked back up at them.

"Just tell us what you know," Cho tried again, ignoring the other man's facetiousness.

"About what, exactly? I know a lot of things," the consultant hedged. He took a sip of his tea, noticing the way Cho's lips pressed together slightly showing his aggravation.

Jane took a step towards his couch but Cho unfolded his arms and placed them on his hips as he took a step away from the desk, blocking the blonds' path. "About Lisbon and these copycat murders. What's the link?"

Jane looked at all three team members as he took another sip of tea then placed his cup back on the saucer and set it down on a nearby empty desk. In truth he was sick and tired of keeping his idea's to himself. He'd gotten used to opening up to Lisbon more and not being able to do that any longer was proving more of a strain than he'd supposed. Shoving his hands in his pockets he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, wondering where to start.

"I don't know anything," he began, ignoring the noises of disapproval that emitted from the rest of the team. "I only have theories and guess work. I wanted to get something firm before I said anything to you all."

"You actually wanted evidence first?" Van Pelt queried with a snort. "That makes a change."

Jane smiled briefly and rolled his eyes in acknowledgement of her barb. "Thank you, Grace," he replied wryly. "I felt that in light of my being wrong about the mental institutions, I should check out some things first before sharing."

"So what have you got so far?" Cho prompted, his stance still on the aggressive side.

Jane looked back at him and shrugged. "Once I figured out that Lisbon wasn't going to turn up at a hospital, I took a step back and had a rethink. I kept going over and over what Red John said and realised that that night I'd been a little too…" He paused as his mind flashed back to that evening and all the feelings it dredged back up with it. Pain, shock, agony, grief, desolation. "…discomposed to be thinking logically," he concluded a trifle self-consciously.

Cho raised an eyebrow at his understatement but relaxed slightly and nodded. "Understandable."

Jane gave a wry smile, knowing Cho could see right through him. And, judging by the knowing look Rigsby and Van Pelt shared, they could too. Apparently when it came to Lisbon, Jane was exceptionally bad at keeping his true feelings hidden…to the team at least.

"So, going over the facts logically, I believe that Lisbon has, more than likely, been put under some kind of suggestion. That would explain why she's not contacted us."

"Suggestion? What, like hypnotised?" asked Van Pelt dubiously before dismissing glibly, "Lisbon's too strong willed for that."

A reminiscent smile tugged at the consultant's lips and he shook his head. "Not if he weakened her defences first."

"Taser? Drugs?" asked Cho.

"Probably. Probably both knowing how Lisbon would've defied him. She wouldn't be a willing subject and therein lies the flaw," Jane explained, his smile getting wider now, his arms waving expansively as he added, "There'll be bits of Lisbon and her past popping up all over the place which means she'll be easier for me to reach when we do find her."

"Huh," grunted Cho as he quickly thought over this new supposition. "I wondered why you never said anything when I officially handed her case over to Missing Persons the other day."

"Meh, I doubt they'll get a hit. But I did persuade their rookie, Sophie, if she would spread the net a little wider for us, just in case," Jane told them with a grin. "Nice girl."

Van Pelt rolled her eyes and gave him a glare but he merely shrugged his shoulders. He refused to feel guilty about using a little of his charm to get what he wanted, however innocent the woman; he'd do a lot more to ensure Lisbon's safe return.

"So what has the boss being under the influence got to do with these murders?" suddenly asked Rigsby in confusion.

Jane immediately sobered and put his hands back in his pockets as he briefly glanced down before looking up at them again with a small frown. "Honestly? I'm not completely certain. Did the killings start because Red John dying was the trigger and he had all this in place anyway? Or are they a part of his long con? Just a smokescreen, something to keep us busy and stop us looking too hard for her." He turned and picked up his tea. With a slightly shaking hand, he held the cup to his lips and took a long swallow before methodically placing it back on the saucer and adding in a low tone, "Either way, if we don't find her first the outcome will always be the same; one day, we walk into a bedroom and there she'll be…the next victim."

xTheMentalistx

"When's Meyer back?" Jack Harding, a slightly greying, fifty something veteran of the force asked a couple of his fellow officers.

"Not for a another week," replied Guy Jenkins, a young, dark haired, good-looking cop. "He took the kids camping in the national park."

"That's right," Harding said, suddenly remembering. "Wanted to spend some quality time with them."

"Well, ever since he and Marie split up, he doesn't get to see them so often," chimed in Pete Thurley, a softly spoken, slightly overweight man of middle age.

The other two murmured their agreement before going back to their tasks. Harding's computer dinged with a new message and he opened it up to find the daily catalogue of missing people to add to his list. There were four, including Lisbon's picture.

"They got an Agent missing," he commented as he printed off the photo's before showing them to the other men.

"She'll be long dead," Thurley surmised matter-of-factly as he shook his head to say he hadn't seen any of the four missing people.

"Shame, she's pretty," Jenkins added as, he too, confirmed he hadn't seen anyone in the pictures.

Harding nodded his agreement then took them over to Meyer's desk and dropped them on top of an ever growing pile of files that the policeman would have to wade through upon his return.

xTheMentalistx

It had been just over two and a half weeks since Lisbon had disappeared. Jane's stitches had been removed and although the wound was still looking a little sore, he was assured there wouldn't be much of a scar.

Lisbon's apartment had been released as a crime scene and he'd gone there with Cho. He'd hesitated briefly at the threshold, just as he had on that fateful night, then forced himself to go in. It was as though nothing had happened there. Betram had sent out a clean-up detail and the apartment felt fresh and clean. The carpets upstairs no longer had any trace of blood nor did the bedroom with its neatly made up bed.

They'd gone back downstairs and Jane had asked Cho for the key. The agent had been reluctant at first but Jane had explained that he just wanted to keep an eye on things until they got her back. Cho had stared at him intently until the consultant had finally admitted that he felt closer to her there.

With a curt, "Don't go through her stuff," Cho had handed over the key and left. From that day on, Jane had taken to spending either part or all of the night at her apartment whenever he could.

He'd also taken a trip to Danville twice now. He couldn't shake the feeling that Lisbon was there or somewhere nearby. He'd spoken to Laura Taylor's parents and any friends that she had in the hope of garnering at least one tiny crumb of a lead. Apart from Laura having a passing resemblance to Lisbon, he hadn't been able to come up with anything new. Once, he'd even stood on a street corner in the middle of the town for hours just looking at people as if by some miracle he'd catch sight of Lisbon or somehow get a feel for where she was. But, nothing.

Always nothing.

The murders kept on happening and each time a call came the trepidation in the office was palpable in case it turned out to be Lisbon. It hadn't, but Jane felt the worry and fear settling heavy in his gut and taking up permanent residence as the days went on. There were now three disciples, as Jane had called them, who were still free. The consultant knew it had to mean something and he and the team had decided to concentrate on them, leaving the other murders to be dealt with at a local level.

He sat at the meeting table with crime scene photo's strewn across the top and sipped at his tea as he carefully rechecked each one in case he'd missed something. He could literally feel the time slipping away from him and with it any chance of getting Lisbon back…alive at any rate. They needed to catch a break and quick.

"I think I've got something," said Van Pelt suddenly, her voice carrying an urgent note of hope. She was stood in front of a board with a map of California taped to it. Each murder had been marked off with a pin. In her hands she held a notebook and she was scribbling things down as she checked some open files that lay on the desk next to her.

Jane immediately put down his tea and got up to join her where she stood. "What is it?" he asked.

Cho and Rigsby came to join them as Van Pelt turned with a half smile. "I've been going through all the murders and cross-referencing family and friends statements with the dates of the killings and I think I've worked out a pattern," she explained. She pointed to the board with its many pins and continued, "The red pins are the murders where we know that the disciples are dead. The blue are the one's where they're still loose but there's no common factor either between the victims or the town where they happened. They seem more like opportunistic killings. Wrong time, wrong place."

The three men stared at the board, all eyes suddenly drawn to four green pins starting at Sacramento and heading downwards.

"And what are those?" asked Rigsby, gesturing towards the green pins.

Van Pelt's smile grew as did the excitement in her voice at the thought of what she'd put together. "I think those are the acts of just one disciple. In each case friends spoke of a new man that the victim had recently started seeing and when I checked I realised that they all seem to describe the same person. Around 5'10, overly long brown hair, brown eyes and a goatee with a tribal tattoo on his left wrist. And look," she said pointing at the board again before adding, "…he started at Willow Creek then went to Dixon, Suisun City and finally Martinez. He's hitting fairly big towns and seems to be heading down towards…"

"Danville," Jane supplied, a smile slowly forming on his face; the evidence pointed to his hunch being right after all.

"There's just one thing, he seems to be only targeting redheads," she revealed, looking a little deflated.

Jane shook his head dismissively. "That doesn't matter. He's following a pattern that's leading straight to the town where Laura was abducted. Maybe his preference is for redheads but I'd stake my life on Lisbon being the ultimate goal. He's clever enough to evade capture and is moving quickly so he knows where she is and I'd guess Red John probably even set him a timeframe to kill her in. That's our guy. Good work, Grace."

Van Pelt smiled at the praise and Cho nodded his approval at finally having a break in the case. Rigsby excused himself as the phone behind him rang but shot his one time love a smile before he turned away.

"We need to get a facial composite of this guy done and a better idea of what that tattoo looks like," said Cho.

"On it," said Van Pelt as she hurried over to her desk.

"We've got another one," said Rigsby as he replaced the receiver. "Body's just been discovered in Walnut Creek but it looks as though it happened last night. The town fits in with Grace's theory. After Martinez but before Danville. Sounds like it could be the same guy."

Cho turned to Van Pelt. "Arrange for the sketch artist to meet you and Rigsby at Walnut Creek PD." He looked back at Jane. "I'll call Danville and let them know to expect us. Then we all go home and get packed. Enough for a few days. Meet back here in an hour, that way we should get there by this evening."

The others nodded and headed off to do as he said.

xTheMentalistx

The bar was noisy and Sarah had to lean forward to catch what her new friend, Andrea, had just said.

"What was that?"

"I said, hot guy to your left checking you out. Nice ass," the blonde repeated with a laugh.

Sarah grinned and raised her glass to her lips while surreptitiously glancing over to see whom Andrea was talking about. The man in question caught her eye and smiled. She quickly looked away and put down her drink. He was cute but not really her type. His overly long hair was brown and straight whereas she preferred guys with short blonde, wavy hair. And his eyes were too dark. Eyes the colour of the ocean were what she looked for in a man. And as for the goatee…really?

Her thoughts wandered to the object of her now vivid nightly dreams and she felt the familiar ache begin in her head. Every night she dreamt of him, his features becoming clearer and clearer to her as time went on. Sometimes there were other images or sounds present. A flash of red, a monotone voice, a laugh. But mainly it was just him reaching out to her and every time he almost touched, she woke up. She didn't recognise him, hadn't a clue who he was and yet she couldn't deny the feeling of utter warmth and complete trust that seemed to stay with her long after she awoke.

She just wished it wouldn't bring on such damnable headaches. She would have to see a doctor if they continued.

She'd been so wrapped up in her musings that she was surprised to see the young man that had smiled at her, now sitting on the stool beside her. She glanced around the bar and spied Andrea holding up her glass in a salute and mouthing, 'You're welcome.'

Sarah held back a grimace and looked back at the man beside her, giving him a wan smile.

"Tyler," he introduced, holding out his hand.

"Sarah," she replied, giving it a half-hearted shake.

"I've been watching you," he told her, as his gaze slowly slid down her tiny frame then back up again to her face and, more particularly, her long, dark auburn locks. "And I have to tell you, I really love your hair."

END CHAPTER 5


	6. Chapter 6

Officer Meyer entered the station and scowled when he saw the state of his desk. He'd only been away for two weeks but from the amount of files and paperwork piled up it looked as though he'd been gone six months.

"How'd the camping go, Sam?" Sergeant Harding asked amicably as he approached Meyer's desk. "Did you have a good time with your kids?"

"Fine thanks, Jack," he replied as he sat down. He picked a file off the top of the largest pile and gestured at the mess. "What the hell's all this? Something big happen while I was away?"

Jack chuckled. "No, just the usual list of missing persons and alerts plus our five yearly review's due. Those are your cases. I've just finished mine and I'm heading out for a while. Gotta call to make, car broken into." He nodded towards the pile again. "Better get yourself a strong coffee, you're gonna need it."

Sam rolled his eyes at that and opened the file he held. It was going to be a long few days.

xTheMentalistx

Jane stood in the middle of the room, hands stuffed deep into his jacket pockets as he slowly turned around, taking in every detail. The untidy dresser top, laundry pile on a chair, pictures and notes stuck up around a vanity mirror. All the usual effects of a young woman just starting out in life.

Except, she had no life now.

Coming about full circle, he stopped moving and stared at the prone figure of Amy Welch, aged 23, who lay butchered on her bed. Blood covered her body and sheets from all the small cuts that had prolonged her death to a torturous degree. The wall above was daubed with the instantly recognisable smiley face that he'd come to loathe.

Even now, knowing that Red John was dead, the sight of it still sent a cold shiver of dread right through to his bones.

He looked over at Cho who stood next to him, quietly talking on the phone. The relief was still apparent on the usually stoic agent's face as he glanced over at the dead woman and back to the consultant. Jane understood the feeling all too well.

They'd reached Danville the evening before and had met with local PD to discuss the case. Forty minutes after their arrival, Van Pelt had called and sent over a picture of the artists' impression of the suspected killer. His name was Tyler Adams. Cho had made several copies and handed them out to the officers on night duty.

Not one's to sit back and wait, Jane and Cho had also spent the night driving around the town but had come up empty and had decided to go back to their motel and try to get some sleep. They'd only been back in their rooms an hour before they got the call about Amy's murder.

Jane had immediately feared the worst, especially when Cho had informed him that she wasn't a redhead. Guilt had enveloped him tightly like an old friend as all the damped down feelings of failure resurfaced. He'd sat silent and tense the entire ride to the crime scene and it was with great trepidation that both men went to see the body.

The realisation that it wasn't Lisbon had almost made Jane giddy with relief but that emotion had soon died and anger had now taken its place. He'd been so sure that they were close to finding her and now…Lisbon just seemed further out of his reach than ever. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he raked a hand roughly through his hair as he once more battled against the frustration and resentment that threatened to overwhelm him. It was one thing to have had Red John thwart him at every turn but to have his lackeys now staying one step ahead was insupportable.

It didn't occur to him that he was running on near empty; that he'd barely slept more than a few scant hours since her disappearance; that he'd hardly eaten enough to sustain a small child, let alone a grown man who needed these simple things to function anywhere near to the level he was capable of. No, all he knew was that he kept letting her down again and again, because he couldn't even manage to figure out the disciples' next move.

"They got him," Cho said suddenly as he clicked his phone shut and nodded towards Amy's body. "Neighbour got a partial on a plate as the killer drove away. Police picked him up a few miles out of town. Found the weapon in his trunk, still had Amy's blood on it. They've got him down the station. Let's go."

Jane didn't need asking twice. Now his body thrummed with a new emotion as his thoughts turned to confronting the disciple; that of anticipation.

xTheMentalistx

Sarah cut off the call and ticked the number off her list before tidying her already neat desk. She had worked through lunch so that she could finish a little early and head over to view an apartment that had just come on for rent. Hopefully she'd like it and secure it before anyone else went to view it. She was truly fed up with the motel now.

She got up and waved a goodbye to her colleagues, giving a small smile to Andrea as she left. She still wasn't happy with her friend for leaving her with Tyler the night before. He'd been pleasant enough but she just wasn't interested. Once he'd realised that, his demeanour had changed somewhat, taking on an edge she hadn't liked. Excusing herself, she'd pretended to need the ladies room and had walked out of the bar.

Andrea had rung as she'd reached her motel room and been profuse in her apologies. Apparently Tyler had been quite angry when he'd realised that she'd ditched him and had said a few unsavoury things about her. Sarah was just relieved that she'd gotten away when she did and had told her friend not to worry.

That night she'd welcomed sleep, happy to lose herself in her little dream world even though she knew the inevitable headache would follow. She just wished she could make out what her dream man was saying. It always so muffled but sounded so urgent at the same time, like he had something important to tell her…probably that she'd dropped something knowing her luck. She smiled to herself, wryly. Trust her to have a crush on a man conjured up by her own imagination.

She exited her office building then headed across the parking lot to her car and got in. As she drove away, she failed to notice the nondescript silver saloon that peeled out behind her as she passed by and started following her down the road.

xTheMentalistx

Sam Meyer was beyond bored. He'd been at it all day and if he had to fill out one more form to confirm the case he'd completed years ago was correct, he swore he'd shoot himself. Grabbing his empty cup, he stood and went over to the machine to get another coffee. He carried it back to his desk then took a long draught before placing it back down and staring at his messy workstation.

Fed up with the review, he pushed aside some of the files and hunted around for the alerts Harding had spoken about earlier. He eventually found what he was looking for, along with the photo's and details of the missing persons that had come in while he was on vacation.

Picking up his coffee, he relaxed back in his chair and went through all the alerts first. There were quite a few of them and he made a couple of notes before starting to flick through the pictures of people deemed lost.

Coming to the one of Lisbon, he paused and frowned. She looked very familiar and he racked his brain to remember where he might have seen her. Suddenly it hit him, she looked like the woman he'd woken up in her car a couple of weeks back. Her hair had been a different colour but he was pretty sure it was her nonetheless.

Lifting out the photo, he read the attached details. Surprised to see she was a CBI agent, he immediately reached for the phone to make the call.

xTheMentalistx

Steven Johnson squirmed a little uncomfortably in his chair as the steady gaze of Patrick Jane continued to relentlessly bore into him. They'd sat there in the small room, face to face, over a small wooden table for a full ten minutes and the consultant had yet to speak.

"What the hell's he doin'?" asked the Danville officer in charge as he watched the pair through the one-way glass.

"Interrogation," Cho replied succinctly.

The officer snorted. "Looks like a pretty half-assed attempt to me," he groused in disgust. "Have to actually speak to admit to a crime, you know."

The agent remained silent and after a few minutes more of non-interaction between the suspect and consultant, the police officer walked away still grumbling to himself. Cho kept his eyes focussed on the small room and waited.

"I'm not going to talk," Johnson suddenly said, lifting his chin slightly in defiance.

"Well now, there's a contradiction for a start," Jane commented, patronisingly.

"You think you're so smart, don't you, Mr. Jane?" Johnson countered disparagingly. "Red John told me all about you."

"I don't think, I know."

"And yet you still can't find your girlfriend. Too bad, she's going to die soon," he gloated triumphantly. "Even dead, Red John is too clever for you. We're too clever for you."

Jane slowly leaned forward and rested his arms on the table; fingers linked loosely together, he was the epitome of calm even though, underneath, he dearly wanted to throttle the man before him. "Why didn't you kill yourself, Steven?" he asked lightly. "Amy wasn't your first victim, was she? So why are you still here?"

Johnson's mouth twisted in contempt. "I'm not one of those weak minded fools. They would've told you everything if they'd been caught. It wasn't worth the risk. Red John told me I was better than that, trusted me to do what I had to."

"Better?" Jane repeated allowing just enough doubt to creep into his tone. "Maybe so, but not good enough to carry out his ultimate plan, though, eh? That privilege has gone to someone else hasn't it, Steven? Someone better than you…Tyler Adams."

The consultant watched in satisfaction as Johnson's jaw tightened at his implication. No-one wanted to be thought of as second best, least of all a disciple. He'd learned that from all those hours talking to Lorelei.

"He's not better than me," he denied through gritted teeth. "My work is just different to his, Red John made that clear."

"Red John made you a bit player, but the man who kills Lisbon, well…now he is going to be the true hero of this piece. The one who finally gets to really break me; something not even Red John himself could do. Tyler must be quite a man."

Johnson remained silent, his face reddening as he fought to keep his anger at bay.

Jane was intrigued. He had thought that Johnson would be quick to contradict him. He could see the obvious dislike for Adams written all over the other man's face but there was a submission there too. An obedience for this man that was very much like the reverence he showed for Red John, except that this was more grudging, as though he were forced rather than wanted to respect him.

"Tell me," the consultant went on conversationally as he studied the other man's face closely, testing out his theory. "Is he the one that tells you where to kill next? I mean someone has to co-ordinate everything, right? Can't have three of you turn up in the same town, that'd look stupid." Johnson's right eye twitched slightly and Jane continued, "So, I was right then. He is better than you. Red John's right hand man." There was another, almost imperceptible spasm but the blond was looking for it. "How does he contact you? Email? Phone?" The tic was more pronounced this time as he tried desperately not to react and the consultant smiled. "Thank you."

He got up and walked over to the door, nodding at the police officer on guard as he was about to leave.

"It's no use, you're going to be too late to save your girlfriend, Mr. Jane," Johnson called after him as he exited. "Again."

Jane paused briefly in the doorway, gut clenching as he heard the man's words. Taking a deep breath, he resumed walking, the guard shutting the door behind him, abruptly cutting off the loud laugh that followed.

"You OK?" asked Cho, meeting him in the corridor and falling into step beside him.

"Fine," Jane dismissed curtly. "We have to find Adams. I think he's more than a disciple, I think he's Red John's protégé. He's been controlling all of this from the start. Red John's death wasn't the trigger for all the murders; it was the trigger for Adams. We need to check Johnson's phone there might be a number, maybe get a location."

Cho looked at him for a few seconds processing everything Jane had said then nodded. "It's a long shot but worth a try. Rigsby and Van Pelt got here ten minutes ago. I'll get Grace to check it out now."

The consultant nodded and headed over to where the red haired agent sat with her laptop. He pulled up a chair, only half registering the fact that Cho's cell had started to ring.

"What?! Where?" came the usually unflappable agents raised voice.

The rest of the team stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him in concern.

He finished his call and quickly grabbed his jacket. "Missing persons just got a call from the local police department in Diablo. An officer there is pretty certain that he's seen Lisbon," he told them as he donned his coat and gestured towards the open laptop. "Come on, pack up. We're leaving."

xTheMentalistx

"I'll take it," said Sarah with an eager smile. The apartment was just what she was looking for, not too big, cosy and in the right price range. "When can I move in?"

"As soon as you want," the plump realtor replied before she held out a pen and clipboard with some papers on it. "Sign this and give me an hour to sort out the rest of paperwork then come to the office to pay your deposit and get the keys."

Sarah signed and promised to be there in an hour. They parted ways and she got back into her car then drove into town. She left her vehicle in a small parking lot and decided to head to her favourite coffee shop and indulge in a slice of chocolate cake to celebrate.

The man in the silver saloon watched her from a distance then smiled and drove off. Everything was falling exactly into place.

xTheMentalistx

"Can't you go any faster, Cho?" asked Jane in frustration as the SUV sped along the road. Rigsby and Van Pelt were following close behind in their own car.

"I'm going twenty three miles per hour faster than the state limit already," came the clipped reply.

"What, so you can't push it to twenty four?" the consultant provoked sardonically.

Cho let out a little humph of annoyance but put his foot down harder on the gas pedal anyway. He was just as keen to get to Diablo as Jane.

"You should've let me drive," the blond groused unhappily.

"No."

The consultant rolled his eyes at the apparent lack of appreciation of his driving skills and stared out of the window.

"So, you really think Adams is Red John's protégé?" the agent asked after a few seconds silence.

"Yes," Jane confirmed before adding blithely, "Oh, he's not the finished article by any means. Far from it. Hasn't got the patience. But he knows enough and is determined to tie up any loose ends left by his mentor. He's clever but I'd say the power's gone to his head, he thinks he's untouchable, that's why he doesn't care who knows about him."

Cho nodded. "Makes him careless."

"And reckless. Dangerous combination."

They arrived in Diablo a few minutes later and both men grew tense as Cho pulled to a stop outside of the station in the centre of town. They'd hit so many dead-ends over the last couple of weeks that they automatically, albeit unconsciously, prepared themselves for another.

They all alighted from their respective vehicles and glanced at each other before going inside the small square, unassuming building. Cho introduced himself and the others once they'd entered and Sam Meyer stood up to greet them.

"I'm the one who called your bureau," he explained. "I saw your Agent Lisbon a couple of weeks ago. I had to move her along as she'd fallen asleep in her car."

"You're sure it was her?" Cho asked.

"Oh yeah, pretty sure," he said, picking up the picture of her from his desk and looking at it. "The only difference is that she's got red hair now, not brunette like it says here. Must have dyed it."

Jane frowned and glanced at Cho, the implication of this little detail not lost on any of the team.

"Did she give you her name?" the consultant queried.

"Yeah, I can't quite remember what it was though. Definitely not Lisbon. She'd just come to town, said she had a new job. I showed her to a nearby motel, I'm guessing she'll still be there unless she found herself an apartment already. Come on, I'll take you."

Van Pelt and Rigsby stood to go with them but Cho shook his head at Grace. "I need you to stay and try and get something from Johnson's phone."

"But…" Van Pelt began.

"If it's Lisbon, we'll bring her back here anyway," Cho cut her off her objections. "In the meantime, get us a lead on Adams." He glanced at Rigsby standing uncertainly by her side. "Come with us."

The taller man nodded and shot the redhead an apologetic look as she sat down again, the mixture of annoyance and disappointment not quite leaving her eyes as she opened her laptop and fired it up.

Cho, Jane and Rigsby followed Meyer out and they all climbed into the CBI vehicle. The officer directed them to the motel and they went straight to the front desk. Cho flashed his badge and asked to see the register. As they looked through the short list of names, Meyer suddenly pointed to one third from bottom.

"That's it; Sarah Parsons! I remember now."

"She hasn't checked out yet," Jane noted, a sudden flare of anticipation alighting his face as he turned to the others with a smile.

The agent asked the guy at the desk for her room number and spare key then they all hurried outside and over to the door of room 214. Jane knocked loudly on the door but there was no response. Cho drew his gun and used the key, entering quietly, the others following after and they quickly searched the room. She wasn't there.

"Dammit," muttered Jane, shaking his head in aggravation. The anticlimax was almost crushing in its disappointment. So close. He looked around the room then walked over to the neatly made bed and reached out to gently finger the cover. Closing his eyes, he leaned forward, inhaling deeply. The sweet aroma of vanilla mixed with a hint of cinnamon crowded his senses and he almost sagged in relief. He'd know that scent anywhere. Whatever else she might have forgotten, this still remained true. It was Lisbon.

Cho dragged his gaze from the consultant as he holstered his gun and turned to Rigsby. "You stay here, let us know when she gets back."

"I'll stay too," Jane decided, as he walked over then sat down on one of the chairs.

Cho shook his head. "No, I need your help back at the station. We've still got to find Adams." The consultant looked as though he was about to refuse when the agent added, "It's not up for discussion, Jane. Lisbon's not safe until we find him. For all we know she's not here because he already has her. He's our priority."

Jane sighed, knowing the wisdom of the words but not liking it one bit. He didn't want to give up the first real chance of seeing Lisbon again. At least he had the reassurance it was her, he just needed to temper his impatience. He stood up again, making a show of his reluctance but Cho simply ignored it and headed out the room to the waiting SUV, expecting him to follow.

"When Lisbon turns up, you call me first," Jane told Rigsby, looking at him intently and giving him a quick pat on the arm.

Rigsby rolled his eyes at the consultant's order then glanced down at his arm and back up to stare suspiciously at the blonds' retreating back. "Wait, did you just…?"

Jane merely raised a hand good bye and left Rigsby cursing the fact that will was apparently so easily to manipulate.

xTheMentalistx

Sarah left the coffee shop and sauntered down the sidewalk pausing every now and then to partake in a little window-shopping as she headed towards the realtor's office to pick up her keys.

The sun bounced off her long, auburn hair, her happy smile making her dimple more pronounced and attracting more than one admiring male glance in her direction as she walked by.

She passed the police station and ambled on. The realtor's office was only another block and her mind turned to her new apartment, blissfully unaware of the large black SUV that pulled up at the kerb a few feet behind.

Jane, Cho and Meyer got out of the vehicle and stepped onto the sidewalk. Straightening his vest and smoothing down his jacket, Jane casually glanced around, his head doing a sudden double take as he spotted a woman walking away from them in the distance. It couldn't be…could it? Was he really going to be this lucky after all the awful disappointment? The hair was wrong, it shouldn't be red, but she was petite and he'd recognise that walk anywhere.

"Lisbon?" he breathed, his heart beginning to pound as he started after her. "Lisbon!"

Hearing him call out, Cho turned to see the consultant break into a run and immediately set off after him leaving Meyer staring after them in confusion.

Jane continued to call out, not even thinking to use her alternate name, just desperately trying to get to her before she vanished again. He slowed down as he neared the woman and shouted again. "Lisbon!" When she failed to turn, he took the last few steps that brought him up close behind her then reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Teresa!"

The moment she felt a hand grab her shoulder, Sarah let out a little shriek of surprise and spun around. Déjà vu smacked her right upside the head as she came face to face with the blond haired, handsome man from her dreams and her mouth dropped open in shock. "You!" she gasped, trying to gain control of her sudden erratic breathing.

The man grinned, his smile lighting up his entire face and she had an unexpected uncontrollable urge to run. She took a step back and his smile faded as his free hand came up to rest firmly on her other shoulder, keeping her in place. Panic rose within her and her head began to pound. As her gaze started to blur, she reached out and laid a hand against his chest with the intention of pushing him away. Instead, her fingers clutched desperately at his clothes as blackness began to darken her vision and she gasped for air.

She heard a voice from a great distance, the pounding in her head and rushing in her ears drowning out anything coherent. Her body sagged and then…there was nothing.

Just a peaceful, quiet oblivion.

END CHAPTER 6


	7. Chapter 7

Jane deftly caught Lisbon as she slumped forward and simply held her limp body tight against his for a moment. Relief and joy mixed with a healthy dose of fear and worry flooded his system and he closed his eyes, reassuring himself that he could feel the steady rhythm of her heart thumping in her chest. Without thinking, he turned his head slightly to place a soft kiss against her temple. She was alive and he'd found her. He'd work everything else out somehow.

"You need any help?" asked Cho as he appeared by the consultant's side.

"No," Jane replied, pulling away from Lisbon quickly to open his eyes and look at the other man. "I've got her."

Cho's lips quirked up slightly and he nodded. Jane gently manoeuvred Lisbon, keeping one arm about her shoulders as he slipped his other under her legs then picked her up.

He carried her along the sidewalk ignoring the interested looks of passers-by as they made their way to the station. While they walked, Cho called Rigsby and told him that they'd found Lisbon.

They approached Meyer who looked at the unconscious woman in concern. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"No, she's just fainted," replied Jane. "Let's get her inside."

Meyer held the door to the station open and stood back to let them through, saying, "There's a couch in the break room just to your left."

Van Pelt looked up as they entered and let out a gasp of surprise as she saw whom Jane was carrying. She got up and went over, standing by as the consultant carefully laid his precious load down on the soft cushions.

"You found her," she said in wonder. "Is she alright? What happened?"

Jane perched himself on the edge of the seat next to Lisbon as Cho relayed everything to Van Pelt. Unable to relinquish contact with her completely, he still held on to one of her hands, his thumb lightly rubbing back and forth over her pulse point. Reaching out with his free hand, he gently brushed some of her hair back off her face then trailed his fingers down until they came to a rest against her cheek. He knew everyone was watching him but his need to touch her far outweighed his desire for being cautious. He didn't care that he was giving himself away. It didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was her.

Suddenly, she let out a low moan and moved her head more into his touch. Jane tensed and relished the warmth of her skin for a few seconds more, then reluctantly removed his hand as her eyes flickered open. He'd seen a hint of recognition in her eyes before she'd fainted and holding Lisbon's hand when she came around would be far easier to explain away than cradling her cheek.

Sarah fought through the thick fogginess and eventually opened her eyes. Bright lights swam hazily in front of her for a few seconds then a room and the people crowded around her came into sharp focus as she looked around groggily, her gaze finally settling on Jane. Her eyes widened in recognition and she found herself on the receiving end of a dazzling smile. What was he doing here? How was he here? Was she still asleep? Was he a hallucination?

"Hey," the blond greeted softly. "How are you feeling?"

She frowned, the pain in her head still present as she tried to work through her confusion. "OK," she answered, attempting to sit up. The movement caused a swift bout of dizziness that caused her to gasp. Shutting her eyes, she placed her free hand to her forehead and waited for the spinning to stop before slowly opening them again. "What happened?"

"You fainted," said her dream man. "I caught you."

She stared at him, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Is this another dream?" she asked looking around uncertainly. She still felt a little woozy and couldn't quite comprehend what was happening.

If anything, his smile brightened even more. "You've been dreaming about me?" he asked.

"Yes…no!" she contradicted herself, mortified at what she'd let slip. She felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment under his amused gaze and snapped irritably, "I mean…who are you?"

She saw the smile fade away and a look of dismay take its place. Instead of answering her straight away, he leaned forward and stared deeply into her eyes as he waved his free hand in front of her face. Whatever he saw there obviously didn't please him and her annoyance rose a notch as she attempted to bat his hand away and realised that he was holding her other hand.

"What are you doing?" she demanded to know, pulling away from him. Did this man not understand personal boundaries? He was far too close and his proximity had her on edge. The unaccountable urge to flee kicked in again and she moved her legs, almost pushing him off the couch so that she might sit up properly.

The consultant felt bereft at the loss of contact but stood and watched her move until she sat bunched right up against one end of the couch looking tiny, lost and a little bit frightened. For a moment there when he'd seen that she'd recognised him, he'd actually dared hope that Lisbon was back. That just seeing his face had been enough. That'd it'd all be so damn easy for once. Deep down, however, he'd known that was mere optimism on his part, but he'd clung to it nonetheless.

He stared down at her in contemplation, putting all the pieces together in his mind before saying, "I'm Patrick Jane, this is Agent Cho and Agent Van Pelt of the California Bureau of Investigations. Does that mean anything to you?"

She shook her head in negation, a flicker of pain flashing across her features so quickly Jane barely caught it. "Should it?" she queried in concern. "Am I in some kind of trouble?"

"What about if I said the name, Red John? Does that mean anything?" he pressed, ignoring her question. The pain registered on her face again and she closed her eyes then pinched the bridge of her nose in a gesture that was so Lisbon the consultant felt his heart skip a beat. There she was, just hovering beneath the surface.

"Only what I've heard on the news," she answered, opening her eyes once more. "Why?"

"Do you know the name Teresa Lisbon?" he asked, watching her carefully.

"No, no I don't" she replied almost immediately before closing her eyes again and rubbing her temples to ease the obvious ache. "Could you stop asking me all these questions, please? My head's really hurting."

From Jane's side, Cho let out a quiet snort. "Ironic. Even when she doesn't remember you, you still give her a headache."

The consultant shot the agent an annoyed glance then turned to Van Pelt. "Grace, would you mind…?" he asked softly, indicating with a dart of his eyes in the other woman's direction that he wanted her to look after Lisbon for a moment.

"Sure," she agreed readily.

As Van Pelt moved away, Jane turned took Cho's arm and pulled him outside into the office so that she wouldn't overhear.

"She's definitely been hypnotised and had a suggestion planted," he confirmed grimly.

The agent nodded, already realising as much. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to bring her out of it," he replied with more confidence than he actually felt.

"Right, because you managed that so well with Rigsby," Cho muttered wryly.

Trust Cho to go for the jugular. "OK, I'll admit that didn't quite work out as I'd hoped but I got there in the end, didn't I?" the consultant responded defensively. "Anyway, I don't have much choice now, do I? If I don't find the trigger then I'll never get Lisbon back. It's not an option."

"Don't you mean, we'll never get her back?" the agent corrected sardonically.

"Meh…semantics," Jane dismissed as he turned away and looked around for the sketch of Adams. Seeing it on Van Pelt's borrowed desk, he went over and picked it up, dislodging the missing persons photo of Lisbon in the process and it fell unnoticed to the floor. He turned back to Cho. "Besides, I'm not going to try anything now. Those headaches are a direct result of her trying to break down the wall Red John put up in her head. If I push too hard after the way she passed out like that, I'm worried I could do some permanent damage. I need to have some time alone with her where I can take it slow and figure out exactly what he's done. Until then, finding Adams is our main priority. I have a feeling he's going to come after her soon. Tonight even. We need to be prepared."

Fearing the same, Cho nodded and followed close behind as they headed back to the two women; only for them to both be waylaid by Meyer and another officer they didn't recognise.

"Agent Cho, Mr. Jane, this is my superior, Sergeant Harding," he introduced.

Although eager to be gone, both men nodded and shook hands with the other policeman.

"Sam's just brought me up to speed with the situation. I'm sorry to hear that your girl has got amnesia," said Harding, seemingly directing the last comment to the consultant.

Jane looked at him, a mild frown puckering his brow at the other man's choice of words. "Are you? Well, don't worry, it won't be for long, I'll soon have her memory back," he replied archly, noting with interest a slight tightening of the other man's mouth.

"Really?" Harding retorted, annoyed by Jane's smug tone. "And just how are you going to do that? Snap your fingers and, 'hey presto', she remembers?"

Jane's eyes widened slightly at the reference to magical abilities and couldn't decide if the cop's comments were just dumb luck or whether there was something more to them. Either way, it rankled. "Something like that," he agreed, blithely, not letting his feelings show.

There was a pause then Harding suddenly grinned at him widely. "Well, that's good then!"

The consultant noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes and adopted a similar grin. "Yes, it is," he retorted dryly. "I have to go now."

The policemen nodded, his fake smile fading quickly before he, along with a bemused Meyer, turned and walked away. The consultant stared after him for a moment, his own falsely pleasant countenance morphing into open dislike.

"What was that about?" Cho queried.

Jane shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure. But I can tell you he wasn't happy about Lisbon possibly getting her memory back. I'd keep an eye on him."

"Nah, he's probably just pissed because you were such a jerk," Cho dismissed with a shrug before carrying on into the break room.

Jane raised his eyebrows and nodded in acknowledgement of that fact then turned and followed the agent. Once inside the room he dragged over a chair and sat down in front of Lisbon holding up the drawing for her to see. "Do you recognise this man?"

"Yes," she replied in surprise, taking the picture from him. "I met him at a bar last night. He tried to hit on me but I left. He gave me the creeps."

Jane and Cho shared a look then the agent asked, "Do you know his name?"

"He said it was Tyler," she answered, her brow scrunching as she a worried look crossed her face. "Why? Is he dangerous?"

"Yes," the consultant responded immediately. "Very dangerous. He's murdered four women already and we believe you're next."

"Jane!" Van Pelt admonished, aghast at his bluntness. Beside her, Lisbon had let out a gasp of horror and she automatically reached out to touch her arm in order to provide some comfort.

"I'm just telling her the truth, Grace," he defended sharply. "And it means she'll have to stay in protective custody until we catch him."

Realising his ploy to keep Lisbon close, Van Pelt relented a little but still gave him another stern look as she turned to the woman next to her. "Would you like a coffee or something?" she asked.

Lisbon nodded dumbly, trying to take in everything that had happened in the last half an hour. One minute she'd been happily looking forward to moving into a new apartment the next she was the potential victim of some psycho killer. Her head swirled with questions and no answers that made any sense. She was certain that there was something else they were keeping from her but she couldn't figure out what it was. They way they looked at her and each other, it was as if there was some big, dark secret they weren't telling her, and frankly after hearing that a murderer was after her nothing could be as bad as that, right?

And she didn't even want to think about her dream man and how he affected her. Like how he sat across from her now, just staring at her with a look of such tenderness emanating from his beautiful blue eyes that it almost took her breath away. Her dreams hadn't nearly done him justice she realised, letting her gaze roam slowly over his handsome face. What she wouldn't do to run her hands through his hair…and elsewhere. His expression altered suddenly, his eyes taking on a heat that darkened them drastically as his lips curved up slowly into a positively devilish, knowing smile that gave her the disconcerting feeling that he'd somehow read her mind.

Clearing her throat slightly, she tried to break the sudden tension between them and asked, "Why is he coming after me?"

"You've got red hair," Jane informed her after a moments pause. His expression had changed once again as his gaze shifted to her long locks and now he seemed almost…sad.

"That's it?" she ventured in amazement. "Because of the colour of my hair?"

"It's his M.O.," Cho interjected flatly. "But don't worry, Ms. Parsons, we'll look after you."

Lisbon dragged her gaze away from the blond and acknowledged what the agent said with a nod. Van Pelt came back with her coffee that she gratefully accepted and brought to her lips. Taking a sip, however, its bitter taste had her pulling a disgusted face.

"Sorry," the female agent apologised.

"No, it's fine, thank you," she assured her with a small smile before looking back at the two men again. "So, what happens now?"

Before they could speak, Cho's cellphone rang. He answered it then looked at Jane and motioned for him to follow as he turned and left the room. The consultant mumbled a quick 'sorry' then hurried out and looked at the agent worriedly as Cho turned to him, closing his phone with a snap. His face was grim. "That was Danville PD," he said in a low voice. "Johnson's dead. Killed himself."

Jane stared at him in shock. "What? No, that doesn't make sense. You heard him, he wasn't suicidal, he was completely the opposite." His brow furrowed as it struck him how this was reminiscent of Red John and his overt desire to keep his disciples from talking by killing them off if they ever got caught. "Apart from me, who did Johnson talk to today?" he asked suddenly.

"I'll check."

While Cho made the call, Rigsby entered the station then pulled up short when he glanced at the break room and saw Lisbon sitting there with Van Pelt. He was about to go in when Jane called him over.

"How is she?" asked the agent, still looking back at Lisbon.

"She's fine apart from the hypnosis," Jane answered. "But don't worry, once we've caught Adams, I'll sort that out."

Rigsby turned and gave the consultant a sceptical look before huffing out sardonically, "Yeah, right."

Jane rolled his eyes at the level of doubt that was being directed at him over his abilities. "Don't worry, Rigsby, I'm sure Lisbon will be far more receptive to me…touching her in certain places than you were."

The agent's sudden expression of horror mixed with embarrassment had Jane grinning in delight. Rigsby was so easy.

"OK, the only people that went into Johnson's cell were cops," Cho announced as he finished his call. "They're going to go through the footage and email over screen caps of them all."

"There's no need, I'm guessing Adams will be one of them," said Jane, back to business once more. "There's probably a dead cop laying in an alleyway somewhere without his uniform."

Seeing Rigsby's curious look, Cho quickly explained what had happened to Johnson. "So what do we do now?" the tall agent asked.

"Now…we use Lisbon as bait," Jane stated quietly.

"No, we don't," Cho refused immediately.

"Yes, Cho, we do," the blond insisted. "It's the only way to draw Adams out. She won't be in any danger, we'll all be there to make sure of that. You know I'm right."

Cho sighed through his nose. The consultant was right unfortunately. "OK, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," he agreed grudgingly.

"Me either, believe me, and if there were any other way I'd be the first to suggest it but we really don't have any time or choice in the matter," Jane pointed out logically. "Adams got to Johnson and now, I guarantee you, he's on his way here to complete Red John's final masterpiece."

The agent wanted to disagree but deep down he knew that Jane made sense. "I'll get Van Pelt to wait here for the screen caps from Danville while we take Lisbon back to her motel," he decided. "Better let Meyer and Harding know what's going on as well in case we need some back-up."

Jane nodded and went back to where Lisbon still sat on the couch finishing up her coffee. Van Pelt stood up as he returned then excused herself and went to Cho who had been gesturing to her through the window.

Once they were alone, Jane stood in front of her and looked down into her big green eyes. "We're going to take you back to your motel now," he said with a charming smile.

"You are? But what about Tyler?" she asked with some trepidation.

"Don't worry, I've got a plan. It'll only be a matter of time before we get him," he told her confidently. "Trust me, I won't let anything happen to you."

His words were purposefully light but from the intensity of his eyes she could tell he meant what he said. This man would protect her, she was certain of it. "I do trust you," she said softly.

His smile faded at her words. Such a simple sentence that conveyed so much faith. For years, Lisbon had never completely trusted him even when he'd started to include her in his little games. To have her say it to him now when she wasn't herself, was bittersweet.

"You ready?" came Cho's voice from the doorway.

Jane looked at him and saw that the agent had a mildly curious expression on his face as if he wondered if he'd interrupted something. "Yes," the consultant replied, ready smile back in place.

"No, I…uh…need to use the bathroom first," she explained, looking a little uncomfortable at the admission.

"Sure. We'll wait for you outside," Cho said.

She nodded then picked up her purse and walked to the back of the station to use the facilities. On her way back, she noticed a photo lying on the floor by Van Pelt's purloined desk. Seeing that the agent was making herself a drink in the break room, she automatically bent down and picked it up. She meant to place it back on top of the desk but when she glanced down at it, she let out a small gasp of shock. Her own face was staring back at her.

She quickly scanned the details that were written on the bottom, the name Teresa Lisbon screaming back at her from the page. Questions whirled around in her head as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She looked up at Van Pelt again and saw that the woman was finishing her task and about to turn. Without thinking, she hurriedly stuffed the picture into her purse and headed towards the exit to join the men.

END CHAPTER 7


	8. Chapter 8

Sarah hurried outside, looking down guiltily as the men broke off what they were saying and turned towards her.

"Are you OK?" she heard Jane ask, the concern evident in his voice. She shot him a harried glance then nodded mutely and quickly got into the back of the SUV so that she wouldn't have to engage in any further conversation. She bent her head so that her hair fell forward acting as a screen to obscure her features as she valiantly tried to get herself under better control.

She could feel Jane watching her and tensed anew when he got in and sat beside her. The two male agents got in the front and Cho peeled out into the traffic as they began their journey to her motel. Silence reigned in the cabin and she turned her head away from the man next to her to stare out of the window as her brain repeated the few words she'd hurriedly read on the bottom of the photo over and over, again and again. Teresa Lisbon. Missing. Senior Agent. CBI.

These people were from the CBI. She'd thought that they were hiding something and she'd been right. All those questions…she was supposed to know the answers. So why didn't she? And her dreams…they suddenly seemed to take on a new meaning. He was calling out to her, trying to find her, she realised that now. So why the hell couldn't she remember him? Had she been in an accident? No, if she had then she'd be suffering from memory loss and she didn't have that at all. She knew who she was; she was Sarah Parsons. She had a life. Could remember things from her childhood. So why did that picture look like her? And why hadn't they said anything to her about it?

She closed her eyes as the infernal head pain that had seemed to have taken up permanent residence ever since she'd passed out, started to throb harder again. Every time she tried to think about her dreams or the man sitting beside her in particular, there would be this horrible ache. The questions continued to go round and around inside her mind. An endless circle without any answers. She absently rubbed her forehead and let out a quiet moan, partly from the pain and partly from the frustration of it all.

It took a few moments for her register that a warmth had encased her right hand and she looked down to find Jane had taken hold of it. She automatically looked up at him and he gave her a soft smile. She could see the worry still present in his eyes but she could also now see that it was mixed with something else…hope. She pulled her hand from his and turned away to continue her perusal of the passing landscape. She couldn't think straight when he looked at her like that. Like he was waiting for something. Like he wished she'd remember. But she couldn't…she wouldn't…she wasn't that person.

xTheMentalistx

Van Pelt checked her inbox again and let out an irritated sigh. Still nothing. Her stomach growled and she realised that she hadn't eaten anything since that morning. Giving her tummy a rub, she looked over at the two officers who were still at their desks.

"Hey, can you recommend anywhere around here that I can get something to eat?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, Joe's place is good," Harding replied with a smile. "How about Sam here, shows you where it is? He was just going out to get something himself."

Meyer looked mildly surprised at the suggestion but Van Pelt was a pretty woman and he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to spend some time with her, even if he hadn't planned on going to Joe's. "Uh, yeah, I'll take you," he offered with a smile. He stood up and went over to where she sat.

"That's great, thanks," said Van Pelt as she got up and grabbed her coat. She gave her laptop one last quick look then left with Meyer to go and get some dinner.

They'd only been gone a few minutes when a ding from Van Pelt's computer alerted Harding to the fact that there was a new email. Standing up, he walked over to the laptop and saw an email from Danville PD sitting in the inbox. Even though he knew Meyer was with Van Pelt and his two colleagues, Thurley and Jenkins, had left for the evening, he still glanced around to ensure he was alone. Once satisfied he wouldn't be interrupted, he clicked open the message and saw an attachment containing screen captures. He downloaded and opened the file then studied each picture carefully. About halfway through he frowned and let out a muttered curse before shutting the file again. He gave another cursory glance around then hit the delete button, erasing the email. After clearing it out of the deleted files section, he went back to his seat and grabbed his mobile to make a call.

xTheMentalistx

Sarah was relieved when they finally arrived at her motel. Although only a few minutes, the journey had felt interminable and in her haste to get out of the SUV once it had stopped, she missed her footing and almost fell. Jane's hand was on her arm in an instant, helping her stay upright. "Thanks," she muttered, perversely missing his touch when he slowly, almost reluctantly, let her go.

They followed her to her room but when she produced her key, Cho shook his head and silently held out his hand. She gave it to him and stood back as he and Rigsby entered first. Guns raised, they checked the area and adjoining bathroom to make certain it was clear.

She hung back by the door, her body acutely aware of the fact that the consultant stood close by her side. It was a relief when Cho signalled for them to enter and she made a beeline for the bathroom. Shutting the door, she locked it behind her and sagged back against it as some of her tension dissipated leaving a feeling of tiredness in its wake. She stayed like that for a few minutes then straightened up and moved across the room to perch on the edge of the bath.

Opening her purse, she pulled out the now slightly creased picture of herself and simply stared at it in bewilderment. So many idea's for an explanation sped through her head but few of them were feasible and none made any sense. With a sigh, she shook her head knowing that there was only one real way to find out what was going on…and that was to simply ask.

xTheMentalistx

Harding finished his call then opened his drawer and got out his gun. He put it in his holster then grabbed a scrap piece of paper and quickly scrawled a note for Meyer. He placed it on his colleague's desk then left the office and walked over to his car.

The silver saloon started at once and he drove off into the dusk.

xTheMentalistx

Hands in his jacket pockets, Jane stood in the middle of the motel room uncertainly. He stared at the locked door and tried to puzzle out Lisbon's strange behaviour. Something had happened, that much was obvious, and if this were his Lisbon he'd know exactly how to wheedle the information out of her. As it was, he hadn't a clue.

"What was that about?" Rigsby asked. He came to stand beside Jane, hands on hips and stared at the bathroom door too.

"I have no idea," the consultant responded with a sigh.

"Something's bothering her," Cho pointed out as he took up residence on Jane's free side, arms folded.

"Obviously," the blond concurred.

"Could it be she's scared about coming back here and knowing a murderer's after her?" suggested Rigsby.

"Possibly," Jane allowed.

"Maybe she just really needed the bathroom again," Cho proposed dryly. "Nerves."

Rigsby shot him an appalled look while the consultant merely smiled. The three men stared at the shut door for a few moments more, each trying the figure out what was wrong. It wasn't until they heard the lock being pulled back that they all roused themselves to move, each walking off in a different direction as though they hadn't been standing there for the past five minutes.

"So, uh, what should we get in to eat?" asked Rigsby a little too loudly. He grinned. "I'm starving."

Jane sat down at the small table and rolled his eyes at the younger man's obvious behaviour. For a highly trained agent, he was such an amateur when it came to being subtle. "I'm not really hungry but I would like a tea," he commented as the bathroom door opened and Lisbon stepped out.

She immediately looked at him, her expression a mixture of fear and determination. He took in her tense stance and noticed she was clutching a piece of paper in her right hand. No, not paper, he realised as his stomach dropped, but a photo. Her photo.

"OK, Jane, I'll see what I can do," Rigsby carried on, seemingly oblivious. "What about you, Boss?" There was a sudden moment of complete silence as Lisbon's gaze flew to the tall agent who, realising his mistake looked at Cho, his mouth opening and shutting comically as he desperately tried to think of something to say.

"Pizza's good for me," Cho replied, breaking the silence. Not missing a beat he turned to Lisbon. "What about you, Ms. Parsons? Is there anything you'd like?"

She looked at Cho then turned her gaze back to Jane and lifted up the photo of herself. "Yes. I'd like to know what this means."

xTheMentalistx

Van Pelt and Meyer entered the station laughing together. They'd only been gone half an hour, the female agent preferring to get her food to go in order for her to get back and check her emails.

She placed her food by her laptop and hit a button to get it out of sleep mode. She frowned when her inbox showed that there was still nothing from Danville. They shouldn't be taking this long. They knew how important it was to the investigation.

"Jack's been called out to a minor dispute," Meyer told her as he held up the scribbled note on his desk and took a large bite of his chicken sandwich.

Van Pelt nodded back distractedly then picked up her phone and placed a call through the Danville PD. She spoke to one of the officer's there and they put her through to the person that was supposed to send over the email.

"I already sent it about thirty minutes ago," the policeman informed her with an irritated tone.

"Well, I haven't received anything," Van Pelt replied, tempering her own annoyance at the man's attitude. "Do you think you could send it over again, please?"

A tut of displeasure came down the line at her then he agreed, albeit grudgingly. The redhead slammed down the handset at the other officer's manner then sat and waited for the email to come through.

Ten minutes later she was just about to call again when it suddenly appeared. She opened it up and clicked the button to download the photo's. While her laptop was working, she got up and went to the break room to make herself a drink.

xTheMentalistx

"Why don't you sit down?" Jane suggested to Lisbon, indicating to the chair next to him.

She shook her head. "No…thanks. I just want this picture explained."

"It will be, I promise you," the consultant assured her calmly. "Please, just sit. Rigsby will get us something to eat and drink and then I'll tell you everything."

"No!" she objected forcefully, her hand clenching and creasing the photo even further. "Tell me now!"

Jane let out a sigh as he studied the woman in front of him. He could see the slight tremor in her hand and the trepidation in her eyes but the stubborn Lisbon-esque tilt to her chin let him know that she wouldn't be dissuaded. He really didn't want to do this right now. It wouldn't solve anything. It could even possibly compound an already delicate situation if he didn't handle it quite right.

He felt the pressure of the moment settle on him with a crushing, almost suffocating force and channelled all of his internal strength to push himself through it. "Very well," he agreed quietly.

Lisbon seemed to relax a little at his acquiescence and finally did as he'd been asking and sat down on the nearby chair. She placed the rumpled picture on the table and slid it over to him using her forefinger. She removed her hand and waited. "Well?"

The consultant reached over and gently smoothed the photo out with the palm of his hand, trying to ease some of the creases. "This is Teresa Lisbon," he began, a small smile playing at his lips. "Head of the Serious Crimes Unit at the CBI. She's our boss and has been missing for just over two weeks because a serial killer named Red John abducted her. We've been searching for her ever since and now, we've found her…more specifically, we've found you."

She stared back at him and felt her heart begin to thud. Although she'd been expecting him to say that the woman in the picture was her, it still came as quite a shock to actually hear it said aloud. Almost immediately, everything within her screamed out its rejection of his words and she suddenly shook her head furiously, ignoring the ache. "No!" she refuted. "You're wrong. My name is Sarah Parsons and I work in telemarketing."

"No, you've been conditioned to think you're Sarah Parsons," Jane countered sharply. "Red John took you and manipulated your brain into forming a new persona."

She stared back at him as if he were mad. "I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life!" she exclaimed. She went to get up but Jane laid a hand on her knee and squeezed it slightly. "Don't touch me," she warned, slapping his hand away angrily. Pain surged through her head again and she let out a yelp, surprised at the intensity of it. "Dammit," she groused weakly as she gingerly rubbed her forehead.

Jane looked at her in sympathy. This was what he'd been afraid of if he pushed against the barrier too hard. He knew she was hurting but he also understood that, in a way, it was a good sign. It meant that Lisbon was trying to break free of the thrall she was in, albeit unintentionally.

"Listen to me," the consultant said as he leaned forward in his chair, his tone of voice low and soothing. "I know this is a lot to take in and you probably feel as though I've lied to you this whole time but I really do have your best interests at heart. You have to believe me. I'd never hurt you."

Sarah stared back at him silently, a slight frown creasing her brow.

Jane sighed at her lack of response and continued, "The headaches are a result of your hypnosis. Your subconscious is trying to find a way to make you remember but there's a pretty thick wall it needs to break through and that's what's causing the pain. I can help you with that if you'll let me. I just need you to trust me again. Do you think you can do that, Sarah? Can you still trust me?"

Sarah stared back at him trying to straighten out the confusion in her mind. Her head was convinced that he was mistaken about her identity. One look at his face, however, and all the residual feelings of warmth and trust that always accompanied her dreams hit her square in her heart. His mesmerising blue eyes looked so sincere and earnest, as if her faith in him was all that mattered. She felt herself getting drawn in, his gaze seemingly having an almost magnetic pull.

Of its own volition, her mouth opened to answer until the sound of Cho's cellphone ringing suddenly snapped her out of whatever kind of spell the man across from her had attempted to cast.

Jane turned to look at the agent with vaguely accusing eyes and Cho held up his hand in apology as he answered his phone. "Cho. Where? OK." He ended the call and looked at Jane. "That was Harding, he says that the car registered to Adams' has been spotted parked on Stone Valley Road, ten minutes west of here. I'm going to go meet him and check it out." He turned to his friend. "Rigsby, you stay here."

The tall agent nodded and closed the door behind Cho after he left. He turned back to the other people in the room and even he could feel the tension that radiated from the pair of them who were back to staring at each other. Clearing his throat, they both turned to look at him and he gave them an awkward smile before querying hopefully, "Uh, so…you guys hungry?"

The consultant smiled and stood up. "Yes, Rigsby, I think food would be a very good idea. We could all do with a break, I think." He looked pointedly to where Lisbon sat at the table, staring at the photo and the agent nodded.

"OK, I'll go out and get something from the service station just down the road. I won't be long." He turned to go then hesitated and turned back. Bending down, he pulled up his left trouser leg and removed a small handgun from his ankle holster. "Here, you'd better have this. Just in case," he said as he handed the weapon to Jane.

The consultant took it from him gingerly, looking at it as though it might go off at any minute. He hated guns. "Thanks. And don't forget my tea."

"I won't," Rigsby muttered a little irritably then left.

Jane walked back over to Lisbon and carefully placed the gun in the middle of the table before sitting back down.

"Do you really think I am this Teresa Lisbon?" Sarah asked softly after a moment's silence.

She was still looking at her picture and Jane smiled. "I know you are."

His confidence had her looking up at him and she searched his face for the truth. "And do you really think you can help me?"

His smile faltered somewhat but he nodded nonetheless. "If I can find the trigger point then yes, I can bring back your memories."

She frowned slightly. "And if you can't find the trigger point?"

The consultant didn't want to answer but the look in her eyes compelled him to reply honestly. "Then hopefully, over time, you'll be able to break through the block in your mind yourself. You've already started by having those dreams."

She nodded and glanced at the picture once more before looking back at him again. "And if I…don't break it myself?"

Jane stayed quiet for so long she thought that he wasn't going to answer her.

Then finally, very quietly he replied, "Then I'll never get you back."

xTheMentalistx

Van Pelt put down her coffee cup and took a bite of her sandwich before opening up the downloaded screen captures. There were quite a few and she clicked on each one methodically, looking for Adams.

She'd just taken a third bite of her food when the screen capture she clicked on showed a face she instantly recognised…but it wasn't Adams. She choked slightly on her sandwich and felt her eyes begin to water as she tried to catch her breath. Coughing a couple of times to clear her throat she then had a gulp of her coffee to help wash everything down.

As soon as she felt able, she grabbed her phone and dialled Cho's number.

xTheMentalistx

Cho drove swiftly along Stone Valley Road keeping an eye out for Adams' car. It wasn't a busy road, for which he was grateful, as it would make it easier for him to find the car. He turned on his headlights as night rapidly approached and drove for a couple more minutes before noticing a vehicle parked on the verge on the opposite side of the road. He slowed down then pulled across the road and came to a stop a few yards behind it.

He killed the engine and sat there for a few moments. The number plate matched the one they had on record for Adams' but as Harding had yet to arrive, he debated whether it would be wise to check it out without back-up. Deciding it was, Cho took the gun from his holster and got out of the SUV.

Gun raised in readiness, he approached Adams' car cautiously. As he neared he realised that the engine was still running and that someone was sitting in the front seat. The window was open and he called out Adams' name as he drew level with the door. When there was no response he moved closer then lowered his gun with a muttered curse. Adams was dead. His throat slit. His face a death mask of pure terror.

Cho pulled out his phone to call it in when it started to ring. Seeing it was Van Pelt he answered and began to tell her about Adams but she cut him off.

"Harding went to see Johnson this afternoon," she said urgently. "By the time stamp he was one of the last people he saw."

Cho processed this startling piece of information with a frown then suddenly, it hit him.

"Dammit!" he cursed down the phone to Van Pelt as he quickly ran back to the SUV. "He's the third disciple!"

END CHAPTER 8


	9. Chapter 9

Jane closed the bathroom door behind him and took off his jacket. Rolling up his sleeves, he walked over to the washbasin and turned on the tap. He let the cold water run for a couple of seconds then cupped his hands beneath the flow. As soon as he held enough water, he bent forward and splashed the liquid onto his face, welcoming the refreshing coldness. He repeated the action twice more then turned off the tap and stood, head bent and arms braced against the basin. Drops of water rolled down his face and fell into the sink but he made no move to dry himself off.

His shoulders slumped a little as a feeling of exhaustion suddenly washed over him. For the past couple of weeks he'd kept going bolstered by love, fear and a healthy dose of adrenalin. Now they'd found Lisbon and were dealing with the last of Red John's disciples, his body had decided that enough was enough and the energy he'd been feeding off of seemed to evaporate into thin air, leaving him feeling incredibly bone weary. His hand shook a little as he ran it tiredly through his hair, the dampness of his fingers causing the ends to curl a little tighter.

He let out a heavy sigh and stared at himself in the mirror above the sink. The last time he'd looked this bad was when he'd been in Vegas for six months. He grimaced slightly as he thought back to that time then resolutely turned away from his haggard reflection. It did no good to dwell and they weren't out of the woods just yet. Until he heard from Cho that Adams was in custody, he had to be on his guard.

He grabbed a towel and dried the remaining moisture off his face then rolled down his sleeves and put his jacket back on. He stepped towards the door then paused not quite ready to face Lisbon again so soon. When she asked him those questions about his ability to help her, it had made him face up to an answer he'd not even tacitly admitted to himself let alone say out loud.

What if he couldn't save her?

Worse than that, what if he pushed just that little too hard and he caused her some very real harm? What if after all this she ended up like Kristina Frye anyway?

The thought scared the hell out of him and now it had risen to the fore, he couldn't seem to push it back down. It sat at the back of his mind taunting him constantly.

Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to locate the inner tenacity that had seen him through years and years of obsession. It took him a few minutes but when he latched onto it he determinedly shook his head in negation. He refused to believe that he wouldn't be able to bring her back. Deep down inside her psyche, Lisbon was trying to break free of her cage and he be dammed if he wasn't going to do everything in his power to help. She was relying on him and he wouldn't let her down again.

Resolve firmly in place once more, he straightened his vest and opened the door.

xTheMentalistx

Rigsby walked swiftly back from the service station carrying a bag full of food in one hand and a tray of drinks in the other. He was crossing the motel parking lot when his cellphone began to ring. Letting out a huff of annoyance, he stopped and looked at his occupied hands in frustration then placed the food bag down and fished around in his jacket pocket for his phone.

He was so distracted by his task that he failed to hear the footsteps behind him until it was too late. He turned just in time to catch a glimpse of his assailant before he felt something hard hit him on the side of the head, knocking him out cold.

Harding gave a cursory glance around to make double sure that no-one was watching then bent over the prone agent and hit Rigsby on the head once more. Blood ran down the side of the agent's face and dripped onto the tarmac. Harding retrieved a used tissue from his trouser pocket and wiped the butt of his gun clean before putting it back in its holster.

He heard the sound of Rigsby's phone ringing again and took it out of the agent's jacket. Seeing it was Cho calling, Harding dropped the cell on the floor and stamped on it hard. There was the sound of glass crunching and he kicked the now useless equipment clear across the lot. Grabbing Rigsby under the arms, he dragged the agent's prone body behind some nearby bushes then picked up the food and drinks and threw them in a nearby trashcan.

He had another quick look around then headed for Sarah's room.

xTheMentalistx

Cho cursed when he couldn't get through to Rigsby the first time and tried again. When it went to voicemail his concern grew and he pushed down harder on the SUV's accelerator in order to get back to the motel as quickly as he could.

Looking at his phone again, he touched the second number on the list and held it to his ear. If he couldn't get through to Rigsby then he'd try Jane.

xTheMentalistx

Sarah looked up as Jane came out of the bathroom and gave him a small smile. He smiled back and she immediately felt some of her tension ease. She hadn't meant to upset him, she just needed to know what the ultimate outcome would be if all else failed. She'd been so consumed with how it all affected her that she really hadn't given any consideration to what it was doing to him…or anyone else. How must they feel seeing her, but not the real her…at least according to them?

"I'm sorry for pushing you," she said as he came back over to the table.

"You didn't. It's fine. You have a right to know."

His tone was dismissive but she didn't believe him for a moment. "Look, you asked me if I trusted you; if I could trust you again and for some reason that I can't explain…I do; I can," she admitted decisively. "It's just the…the believing that I'm this woman that you say I am. I'm so certain I'm Sarah Parsons that my head won't even entertain the possibility that I…was…am Teresa Lisbon." She picked up the photo then dropped it back on the table face down. "Even if you do have a picture backing it up."

Feeling frustrated and annoyed, she folded her arms and frowned, her chin tucking down towards her chest as a slight pout presented itself on her mouth.

Despite all his earlier inner turmoil, Jane couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at her familiar mannerisms. "Oh, you're Lisbon alright, there's no doubt about that. No two women could sulk so adorably."

Sarah looked at him in surprise, a faint blush staining her cheeks. His words and tone were warm and affectionate. Now she thought back on it, it hadn't been the first time he been that way with her and she wondered just what kind of relationship he and her alter ego had.

Jane turned away feeling a little self-conscious. The words had just slipped out. For a moment it was almost as if he were watching Lisbon and the feeling of longing had been overwhelming.

A sudden loud knocking followed by a muffled voice saying, "Food," interrupted the potentially awkward moment and he felt relieved that Rigsby had returned to quickly. As he walked to the door, his phone rang and he pulled it out of his inside jacket pocket. He saw it was Cho and answered, hoping to hear good news about Adams.

"Hi," he greeted down the phone at the same time as he pulled open the door.

"Adams is dead. Harding did it. Van Pelt saw him visiting Johnson in the photo's from Danville. I think he's the third disciple, Jane. I can't get hold of Rigsby and he's probably coming after Lisbon," Cho quickly explained.

Jane stared at Harding standing on the other side of the open doorway and felt a streak of fear run through him as he saw that the gun the officer was holding was aimed squarely at his chest.

"He's already here," the consultant replied before cutting off the call. Raising his arms, he backed up as Harding moved forward into the room and shut the door behind him. "Rigsby will be back any minute," he said with more bravado than he felt.

Harding laughed. "No, he won't."

His stomach fell but he pushed aside his concern for his friend and concentrated on the man in front of him. From behind him, he heard Lisbon gasp and tried to keep himself between her and Harding. "So you're the third disciple," Jane commented casually.

Harding's mouth twisted in contempt. "Adams and Johnson were disciple's. I'm something a lot more than that, Patrick."

"Really? How so?" he asked, trying the keep the other man talking.

"Red John was a very good teacher and I was his star pupil. There's nothing I didn't want to learn."

Jane realised suddenly that he'd been wrong. All those veiled comments at the station…they made sense now. Harding was the protégé and had been misdirecting everything from the outset. It was an amateur mistake and no matter what excuses there were, he knew he'd be flagellating himself for a long while after this was all over…if he actually got out alive of course.

Harding took a step to the side and cricked his head to look at Lisbon. "Stand up," he ordered.

Jane felt rather than saw her do as she was told and shifted slightly so that he made it difficult for Harding to maintain any kind of contact. He needed the man's focus on him not Lisbon. "What are you going to do?" he asked, bringing the officer's attention back to him as he'd planned.

"I'm going to finish what Red John started. I thought that was obvious, Patrick," he replied with a smile.

"Cho knows you're here. He's on his way as we speak."

Harding shrugged. "This will be over and I'll be gone by the time he arrives."

"No long drawn out torture then?"

"As nice as that would be, especially with the lovely Teresa here, I just need you dead," the officer told him. "I'll have time to play when you're gone. Maybe find my very own Patrick Jane to torment for years."

Jane swallowed but forced a smile to his face. "Don't you think Red John would be disappointed in you for not putting an end to this the right way?" the consultant queried with practiced indifference, trying to plant a seed of doubt. "All those years of Red John making me suffer and now you're going to what? Shoot me? I think I'm a little offended."

Harding shook his head and smiled. "I can see why he liked you so much, Patrick. Why he wanted you as his friend. You two could've have been brilliant together but your loss was my gain. Now, get out of the way," he ordered as he jerked his gun, gesturing for Jane to move to the side.

The consultant grew serious and let his arms drop to his sides as he shook his head and took a small step nearer to Harding. "No."

"Patrick, don't be stupid. You're no hero, we all know that," the officer goaded complacently. "Accept your fate and move aside. You can't stop me, I'll just shoot you in the leg. Or the arm. Either way you'll still get to watch Teresa die first. It's what Red John wanted."

The sound of a car screeching to a halt outside in the parking lot could be heard and the tension in the room deepened considerably.

"You're out of time," Jane said as he took another step towards Harding.

"No, Patrick, you are," the killer replied as he levelled his gun.

The consultant barely had time to register Lisbon's terrified shout of, "No" as he lunged at Harding determined to do whatever it took to protect his love at any cost. In that split second it didn't matter if she'd never be herself again, all he cared about was that she would live. Even if it meant he died.

Before he reached Harding, however, two shots rang out one after the other and he felt a sharp sting on the side of his head. He let out a cry of pain then reached up and touched a hand to his right temple. Bringing it down again, he was shocked to see blood smeared on his fingertips and swayed slightly at the sight. The sound of Harding groaning harshly caught his attention and he looked up to see the man clutching at his chest. There was a look of surprise etched on the killers face and he opened his mouth to speak but before any words came out he suddenly slumped and fell forward in a heap.

"Lisbon!" Jane said his urgent tone laced with fear as he turned to look behind him. He blinked rapidly as a wave of dizziness hit causing him to stagger a little but he ignored the feeling, desperate only to see that she was alive. "Lisbon, are you OK?"

Sarah stood breathing heavily, Rigsby's gun in her hand as she stared down in shock at the lifeless body of Harding. She couldn't believe she'd just killed a man. Tearing her gaze from the body, she stared down at the lethal piece of metal she was still holding and suddenly dropped it as though it had bitten her. Tears gathered in her eyes as she felt warm fingers gently come to rest under her chin and she looked up to stare into the concerned face of the consultant.

"Are you OK?" he repeated, swaying a bit in front of her. The edges of his vision were blurring now but he just needed to hear her say that she was alright.

Blinking back the tears, she nodded and said in a stunned tone, "I think I believe now."

Jane smiled then felt his body grow suddenly lax. He fell to the ground and distantly heard the sound of the motel room door being broken open followed by Cho's urgent voice. He tried to make out what was being said but gave up and let his body succumb to the darkness, his last conscious feeling being that of someone tenderly touching his cheek.

END CHAPTER 9


	10. Chapter 10

Cho burst through the motel door just in time to see the consultant crash to the floor.

"Are you OK?" he asked Lisbon urgently as he glanced over to where Harding lay in a heap a short distance away. Quickly surmising that the killer would no longer pose a threat, he lowered his gun and turned his attention back to his hypnotised boss.

"Yes, but he's not. He's been shot, you have to help him," she replied, the panic evident in her voice as she dropped to her knees next to the prone blond and gently laid a hand against his cheek.

Cho hurried over and knelt down on the other side of Jane grimacing slightly when he saw the wound. The sound of someone entering the room had him go for his gun and look round. He relaxed when he saw that it was Van Pelt with Meyer close behind her. He'd called them after Jane had cut off their call.

Meyer ran straight to his colleague and crouched down by his side. "He's dead," he announced, shock evident in his voice and on his face as he stood back up and turned to the agents.

Cho nodded, he could understand the man's upset but he didn't have time to waste on trying to offer consolation right at that moment. "Did you call an ambulance?" he asked Van Pelt.

"Yeah, and Danville PD like you asked. They should be here soon," the female agent informed him as she hurried over to his side and looked down at the unconscious Jane. "Is he OK?"

"I think so. It's nasty bullet graze though," Cho replied as he carefully parted the consultant's hair and inspected the bloody gash. "Looks deep." He removed his hands then glanced over at Lisbon. "Where's Rigsby?"

She shook her head and quickly dashed away a tear that rolled down her cheek as reaction over the last few minutes began to set in. "I don't know. He went out for food and never came back," she answered, her voice shaky.

Van Pelt shot Cho a concerned look as he stood up. "You stay here with Jane, I'll go look for him," he ordered before hurrying out.

The female agent nodded and tried to keep her own fears for her former lover at bay. If anything happened to him…

"He'll be OK," she said aloud. Although she directed her words to Lisbon, she knew she was trying to console herself as well.

Sarah nodded and brushed away another tear before reaching out and taking hold of the consultant's left hand, clasping it tightly. "I know."

xTheMentalistx

Cho jogged through the parking lot looking for Rigsby. In the distance he could hear the sounds of sirens approaching and was thankful that he'd soon have extra people to help him search. He came to a halt and turned around slowly as he called out his friends name a couple of times. A movement in some nearby bushes caught his eye and he went over to investigate.

Just as he reached the greenery, Rigsby suddenly lurched out clutching at his head. Obviously unsteady on his feet, Cho reached out and grabbed the injured agent. "I got you," he said as he put an arm about the taller man's waist and helped him walk slowly back to the room.

"It was Harding," Rigsby rasped, fighting to stay conscious.

"I know. Don't worry, he's dead," Cho told him.

"Good."

They got back to the room and Van Pelt let out a gasp of horror when she saw the state that Rigsby was in. Cho helped him sit in a chair and she hurried over to check on his injuries.

"Do you want me to get a towel?" Meyer offered, trying to be helpful. He couldn't help but think some of this was his fault. That he should have known Harding was the killer.

"Yes, thank you," the female agent answered with a grateful smile.

"Has Jane woken up yet?" Cho asked. Both women shook their heads and he felt a sliver of alarm that the consultant's injury might be worse than he'd first thought.

The sounds of the emergency sirens grew louder and he went outside to await their arrival. Once they turned up, everything seemed to move at a lightning pace.

One of paramedics quickly checked Rigsby over and while he didn't think his skull had been damaged, he wanted him to have an urgent scan just to be sure.

The second paramedic tended to Jane. He still hadn't regained consciousness and they removed him to the ambulance as soon as they could. Rigsby was helped in too and they were taken swiftly away.

Sarah stood with Cho and Van Pelt and watched as the emergency vehicle went out of sight. She'd managed to keep her tears at bay so far but she knew it wouldn't be long before she had a complete breakdown. There was something within her that was desperate for Jane to be alright and the not knowing was upsetting her greatly. She assumed it had to do with her alter-ego.

"You're shaking," Cho suddenly observed from by her side. "It's probably shock."

She looked at him in surprise and realised that he was right. She hadn't even noticed.

"I'll take her to the hospital," Van Pelt was quick to offer. "I can keep you posted about Rigsby and Jane too."

Cho nodded. "OK, I'll come by later and take your statement then," he told Lisbon.

The women walked away and Cho was left to deal with the crime scene. He headed back into the room and spent the next few hours supervising and ensuring everything went as smoothly as possible. He didn't expect there to be any charges brought against Lisbon as it was evident that she had shot Harding in self-defence, but he wanted to ensure that everything was checked and double-checked just to be certain.

It was the early hours of the morning before he finally made it to the hospital. He flashed his badge at the tired looking woman on the reception desk then headed to the room that Van Pelt had informed him Rigsby was in. The injured agent was asleep and Van Pelt sat dozing in a nearby chair. She woke up as soon as Cho entered the room and gave him a small smile.

"How's he doing?" he asked.

"Good. There's no brain damage or skull fracture," she informed him quietly so as not to disturb Rigsby. "He's got a concussion but the nurse isn't due in to wake him again for another hour or so."

"What about Jane?"

"They've treated his wound but he's still hasn't woken up yet. A couple of things come up when they checked him over and they thought he might be suffering from mild dehydration, possibly exhaustion too so they put him on an IV."

"Yeah, he hasn't eaten or slept much over the past couple of weeks," Cho recalled with a sigh. "And Lisbon?"

"She's OK. They treated her for shock and she's been in with Jane ever since." She smiled softly. "Some things never change."

"I'll go and check on them. You want a coffee or anything?"

Van Pelt shook her head. "I'm fine, thanks."

Cho walked out and headed down the corridor to a room a couple of doors down. He went in quietly and saw Lisbon sleeping awkwardly in a chair by the bed.

"You should wake her up, she's going to have a bad neck in the morning," came Jane's tired, croaky voice from the bed.

Relief flooded through Cho that his friend was finally awake and he gave the consultant a rare smile. In the dim light, the exhaustion was still evident on the man's face and although his eyes were open, he looked as though he were fighting to keep them that way.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" the agent asked in a low voice as he moved closer.

"Like crap but that's nothing new," the blond replied wryly. "What happened to me?"

"You don't remember?"

The consultant gave him a withering look. "Would I ask?"

"Harding got off a shot. Bullet grazed your head. You've been out ever since. Doctor's are treating you for exhaustion as well."

Jane smiled. "Very concise, thank you, Cho." He sighed and licked his lips. "Could you get me some water please? My mouth feels like cardboard."

Cho poured some out of the container that stood on the bedside cabinet and handed him the cup. Jane took a grateful few sips then gave the cup back.

"That's better. Thanks," he said, his voice sounding a little stronger. "What about Rigsby?"

"He's going to be fine."

"Good." The consultant's gaze strayed to Lisbon again. "Is Harding dead?"

Cho looked at the sleeping woman too. "Yeah. She nailed him. One shot. Just like Lisbon would've done."

The consultant smiled. "That's my girl."

The subject of his perusal stirred suddenly then slowly woke up. Her eyes lit up when she saw him looking back at her. "Hey, you're awake," she said with a sleepy smile.

"I am," Jane replied with an answering smile of his own.

She went to sit up then grimaced and let out a groan of pain as she clutched at her sore neck.

"I told Cho to wake you but he never listens to me," the blond commented.

The stoic agent let out a snort. "I'll get the doctor."

"Yes, do, I can't wait to out of here," Jane announced, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"You're not going anywhere," Sarah told him firmly as she got up and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "You've been hurt and you're exhausted."

"I'm fine," he refuted with a shake of his head. "Even better when I get out of here." He threw back the covers then, belatedly realising he had a hospital gown on and not much else, he hurriedly covered himself up again. "Uh…clothes?"

"After I fetch the doctor," Cho said, biting back a smile at how Jane looked a little flustered. It was an unusual occurrence…and one to be relished.

The consultant frowned and glared at the agent as he walked out of the room. "Traitor," he muttered unhappily.

Sarah stood by his bedside and looked down at her hands briefly before bringing her gaze back to his once more. "I…um…I asked Agent Van Pelt about calling your wife," she began, gesturing to his wedding ring. "And she told that she'd passed away. I'm sorry."

Jane felt the familiar pain that clutched at his heart whenever he thought of his family and wondered quite when or if the hurt would ever lessen. He hoped that now that Red John and his followers were gone that he would begin to heal. He certainly wanted to. He'd got the revenge he'd desired for so long and even though it wasn't by his own hand, he found that he didn't mind as much as he'd thought he would.

"Thank you," he finally replied with a sad smile. "It was a long time ago."

Sarah's eyes widened at that and she glanced at the ring once more before nodding and looking down again. "Oh."

Jane sighed. Everything was still so complicated. He wanted to assure her that the ring was more of a reminder than anything else. A symbol of what he'd vowed to do to Red John. What he felt for his family would always be in his heart, he didn't need a physical token for that. But that was a conversation he wanted to have with Lisbon…not Sarah.

Cho came back into the room followed by a young woman and for once Jane was pleased to see a doctor. He did his best to charm her as she checked him over and it wasn't long before she agreed that he could go in the morning. She told him that she'd get a nurse to come in the remove the IV needle from the back of his hand but after another flash of that megawatt grin and some obvious flattery, she eventually did it herself.

"Wow, you're really something," Sarah commented dryly.

"I know," the consultant replied, ignoring her disapproving gaze. "Now, Cho, could you get me my clothes please?"

The agent did as he was asked, knowing there was no stopping the blond.

"The doctor said you could go in the morning," Sarah pointed out.

Jane swung his legs around out of bed but kept the covers over his lap as he reached over and grabbed Lisbon's arm, holding it up to look at her wristwatch. "It is the morning," he pointed out decisively.

Sarah pulled her arm out of his grasp and determinedly ignored the tingling feeling that lingered where his hand had clasped her briefly. "I'll wait outside," she muttered as Cho handed the blond his clothes.

Jane got dressed quickly and although he still felt a little unsteady, he hid it well as he was more than ready to leave.

Cho eyed him suspiciously but remained silent until his phone chirped, alerting him to a new message. "It's Meyer," he said as he read the text. "He's sent me directions to another motel just outside Diablo. He says he's got us all booked in and he's taking our bags over and some of Lisbon's clothes."

The consultant nodded and they joined Sarah outside then headed down the corridor. They made a brief stop at Rigsby's room to let Van Pelt know where they were going and Cho said he'd forward the directions onto her.

She was pleased to see Jane up and about although her concerned comment, that it might be too soon, was brushed aside by the consultant as dismissively as he had done Lisbon's. He just needed to sit down somewhere quiet and have a nice cup of tea.

They walked out of the hospital then got into the SUV and Cho drove them to the new motel. It was quite a large place and looked more expensive than the one in which Lisbon had stayed. The agent checked them all in and the man at the desk brought out their bags while they signed the register. They took their keys and things then went in search of their rooms. They were all quite close to one another so they took Lisbon to hers first but before she went in she turned to Cho. "What about my statement?"

"We'll do it this afternoon," he replied. "You should get some rest."

She nodded and looked at Jane with a slight frown. "That trigger you said about…"

"Don't worry, we'll do that when you're ready, Sarah," the consultant cut in firmly. "There's no rush. I'm not going anywhere."

Sarah stared at him as if unsure whether to believe them and then nodded. "OK. Goodnight."

Both men said 'goodnight' back and once she was safely inside, they headed off to find their own respective rooms.

"I'm just going to grab a shower and change my clothes then go back to the hospital," said Cho as they came to a stop at Jane's door about three down from Lisbon's. "You should get some sleep, you look like hell."

"That's exactly what I'm going to do once I've had some tea," replied the consultant as he inserted his key card.

"Make sure you do," Cho countered, looking pointedly along from where they'd just come. "She needs rest, she's had a rough few hours…so have you."

"I know," Jane answered seriously. "I won't bother her, Cho, don't worry."

The agent nodded then walked off to his own room another couple of doors along. He waved his hand as a goodnight and Jane did likewise before entering his own room. He glanced around and found the furnishings to his taste for a change. He dropped the key card on a nearby table then headed over to the bed and placed his bag on it before heading straight for the tea maker to make himself a drink. While he waited for it to heat up, he shed his jacket and vest and hung them up in the small closet before rolling up his sleeves and toeing off his shoes.

Once the machine was ready, he methodically made his tea trying not to think about the woman who was probably fast asleep by now just a few yards away. He'd said he wouldn't go to her and he'd meant it. There was still that tiny part of him that wanted to put off attempting to break the hypnotism because he was petrified that he wouldn't be able to do it. Wouldn't be able to save her this time.

He picked up his tea and took a sip, closing his eyes as he relished the feel of the soothing brew running down his throat. Turning around, he took a step towards the bed only to stop when there was a soft knock at the door. He frowned slightly then realised it was probably Cho.

Carrying the cup and saucer in one hand, he went to the door and opened it up. To his surprise he found a nervous looking Lisbon standing there. "Are you OK?" he asked, immediately concerned.

She nodded and looked down then back up at him with some trepidation in her eyes. "I know it's late…or early…or whatever, but…I'm ready, Mr. Jane. I want to do this. Now. I want to be Teresa Lisbon again."

Jane stared at her for a moment, conflicting emotions suddenly surging through him until finally, he made his decision and nodded. Taking a step backwards he said, "You'd better come in then."

END CHAPTER 10


	11. Chapter 11

Sarah walked in and stood nervously in the middle of the room. She knew she wanted to do this but she was still fighting the urge to keep her distance from the consultant as well. Her headache was present, as always now it seemed, but during the past few hours when he'd been in danger she'd somehow managed to overcome the pain and her irrational feelings.

Maybe it had been the adrenalin; maybe it had been the panic but whatever is was, it wasn't helping her now. As she stood there looking at him watching her, she could feel everything starting to crowd in on her again and she glanced at the door wondering if she could tell him she'd made a mistake and just leave.

"I won't stop you if you want to go," Jane told her quietly from where he still stood by the door, cup in hand.

Her eyes widened in surprise that he seemed to know what she was thinking. His own face was impassive, not allowing her the same dispensation. She warred with herself for a couple of moments then took a step towards the door only to stop when she saw a flash of something cross his features that took her a few seconds to recognise.

It was hurt.

Her heart gave a little lurch at the thought of upsetting him and she found herself shaking her head.

"No. I…I want to stay," she declared, firming her resolve.

He nodded then looked down and the barest of smiles touched his lips as he walked towards her and asked, "Do you want some tea? It'll help you relax."

Sarah nodded and he moved passed her to the maker. He switched it on again then drained his own cup and placed it down by the machine. He reached out for another cup and it was then she noticed the long, thin scar that adorned the top of his right forearm.

"How did you get that?" she asked without thinking. Realising what she'd said she immediately backtracked adding contritely, "I'm sorry, it's none of my business."

Jane paused in what he was doing and looked down at his arm. He'd almost forgotten about the scar. Yet another reminder of his obsession with Red John and therefore his family's deaths, but this was a permanent physical one rather than mental. The killer had impacted upon his life in so many ways…was still impacting on it. He wondered if he'd ever be truly free of all the binds that tied him to the evil murderer.

"It's fine," he said, shooting her a smile before explaining, "Just a little accident I had a while ago. My own fault."

She nodded but didn't really believe him. The injury looked more recent than 'a while ago' as he'd claimed but she remained silent. He had his reasons for not telling her and she had to respect that. She watched him place the teabags in the cups and then he turned to face her.

"So, how are we going to do this?" she asked, shoving her hands into her jeans pockets so that he wouldn't notice they were shaking. "How do you find the trigger?"

"Usually it's a pressure point on your body that I have to find. Sometimes it's a word. On the odd occasion it can be both," he told her as he folded his arms and leaned back against the table that supported the tea maker. He tilted his head to look at her assessingly then predicted, "In your case, judging from the way you pull away whenever I touch you, I'd say it's a physical thing."

"A physical thing?" she repeated, reddening slightly at his answering nod.

"Yes, he's planted a suggestion that automatically makes you want to keep away from me so it makes it harder for me to search out the trigger; but there are ways to get around that."

"What ways?" she asked curiously.

"I can put you into a light trance," he replied casually, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You mean hypnotise me again?" she queried in surprise. "You can do that? Will it even work?"

"It's not hypnotism, just a relaxed state so that it stops you from getting too agitated when I begin," he assured her with a small smile. "It was kind of my job before I joined the CBI."

That intirgued her and she wanted to ask more but she had a feeling that now wasn't the time. She sighed, not liking the idea of agreeing to his suggestion but knowing she really didn't have any other option if she wanted to get back to who she supposedly really was. It was all so infuriating and frightening and everything seemed to be spiralling out of her control. Irrationally, she had the childish urge to stamp her foot in frustration.

"Why me?" she suddenly blurted out irritably. "Why am I so special that Red John did this to me?"

Jane was surprised by her question and not quite sure how to answer it. He couldn't tell her that it was because the sadistic murderer knew that he loved her. When he said those words to her again, it'd be to the real Lisbon.

"He knew that it'd do the most damage to the team if you were gone," he explained. It wasn't a complete lie; it just wasn't the complete truth either.

"The team?" she queried dubiously, "But what about you?"

For some reason the feelings that he brought forth within her, especially after a dream, seemed to hint at more than just him being a team member. There was also the odd comment he'd let slip that implied something deeper too. Not to mention the way he looked at her sometimes.

"Me? I don't know what you mean," he denied blithely before turning around and busying himself with their almost forgotten tea. "Why don't you sit down and I'll bring these over."

She looked at one of the more comfortable looking chairs and did as he requested. He came over with their drinks and handed one to her with a smile before grabbing a nearby chair and sitting down opposite her.

"I don't believe you," she stated quietly, the words hanging heavy between them. "Those things Harding said, the way you've acted towards me, my dreams, the way I feel…if I can't trust that you're telling me the truth about this then how can I trust you about anything else?"

Jane looked at her troubled face and let out a sigh. He knew he was going to have to give her some kind of honest explanation if he wanted her to relax enough for it to work.

"Red John killed my wife and child because of something I said that he didn't like," he began quietly. Ignoring her sharp intake of breath he continued, "That's how I came to the CBI and where I first met Lisbon…you…and the team. We've been through a lot together over the years and I'd be lying if I said that we hadn't grown close but…there's never been anything more between Lisbon and myself than friendship."

Sarah was shocked and saddened by what he'd told her and immediately felt sorry for pushing him like she had. Staring at him compassionately, she gave a little nod then placed her cup down on the floor by the side of her chair.

"OK, I'm ready," she told him as she sat back up. Taking a deep breath, she settled back into the seat and waited nervously for him to begin.

Jane could see the tension radiating off her rigid body. Her hands gripped the armrests so tightly her knuckles were turning white. He leaned back into his own chair and casually crossed his legs. Seemingly completely at ease, he picked up the string of his teabag and slowly began to dip the enclosed leaves up and down in his cup. He set an unhurried, methodical rhythm that drew Sarah's apprehensive gaze.

"Before we start, I think I'll just drink my tea," he said, his voice taking on a soft hypnotic timbre as he attempted to help her to calm down. Up and down the bag went; up and down while he continued to speak, "It's all in the amount of times you dip the teabag into the water…ten…nine…eight…nice and relaxed now, Sarah…seven…six…that's it…good."

He saw her hands loosen their death grip on the armrests and noted that she slumped more comfortably back into the chair. He stopped what he was doing then put his own cup down on the floor before sitting forward and looking deeply into her languid eyes.

"How do you feel?" he asked, still staring at her.

"Good," she said with a smile. "And a little tired."

He nodded then, happy that she was ready, he slowly reached out with his hand.

"OK, Sarah, I'm going to try and find the trigger now," he clarified as he gently laid a hand on her left knee.

She nodded but despite her compliance, he could feel her tense up slightly at his first touch. He stayed still until she relaxed again then gave her knee a gentle squeeze. After a moment, she shook her head and so he moved his hand to her right leg.

Sarah tried hard not to tense up this time and almost succeeded but she could feel a tiny bubble of panic beginning to bloom within her chest. Dampening it down, she forced herself to focus on Jane's face and listen to his soothing voice.

"It's alright, Sarah, stay calm, you're doing really well."

He took his hand away from her leg and she felt as if she could breathe again. Seconds later he took hold of her right wrist and started running his hand slowly but gently up her arm, subtly exerting pressure at different points as he went. The pounding in her head began to grow stronger and her breathing deepened as she tried to control the fear that threatened to take hold making her body go rigid with fright.

"No," she objected, as his hand reached the top of her arm. "Stop, please."

He gave her shoulder a firm squeeze then let her go and pulled back.

"Sarah, look at me," Jane instructed to the now heavily panting woman. He needed her to try and get her emotions back under some kind of control. Moving to the edge of his seat so that he were closer, but careful not to touch her, he repeated in a firmer tone, "Look at me."

She finally managed to do as he asked, latching onto his voice like a drowning man at sea would a piece of driftwood as she tried to calm down. Her headache slowly subsided a little and she felt some of the tension ebb from her body as she gained a hold of herself once more.

"I don't think I can do this," she whispered with a shake of her head. "It's too much."

"Yes, you can," he told her with a nod. "You're strong and brave and you will do this, Sarah, do you hear me?"

She stared back at him for a few moments gaining strength from the encouraging look on his face and finally nodded.

"I'm going to try your other arm," he said, gently taking hold of her left wrist. "Just relax. I won't hurt you. You're perfectly safe."

He continued to speak as his hand glided slowly over her heated skin but the panic returned in full force and her breathing almost immediately started to come out in short bursts. The throbbing of her head increased, drowning out his calming words as she fought an inner battle with herself just to remain seated. When he reached her shoulder she couldn't stand it any longer and lashed out at his hand, knocking it away as she suddenly stood up.

"No! Don't touch me!" she cried out.

Although taken by surprise, the consultant also stood seconds after she did, his action bringing him so close to her that they bumped lightly against each other. Sensing that she was about to bolt, he grabbed hold of her shoulders and looked down at her panicked face.

"Please, just let me try one more time," he all but begged. "Please."

Sarah stared back at him seeing the desperation, the need in his cobalt eyes and knew she had to try and do as he'd asked. Her heart was thundering in her chest, her breathing erratic as she blindly clutched at his shirt and nodded in an attempt to not run away. Being this close to him filled her senses and her inner struggle became an all out war as she did her best to remain strong. But try as she might, something within her was winning and she could feel herself failing.

Jane felt her begin to pull away and quickly grabbed her around the waist with one hand as his other slid up to the back of her neck and into her soft hair. The movement brought them impossibly closer as his fingers sought out the last pressure point. It would be just like Red John to use the one place that he thought it unlikely Jane would ever be able to touch.

They stared at each other intently, their breaths mingling, his breathing as harsh as hers now from the emotions that were spilling forth as he found the spot he was searching for at the base of her skull and gave it a delicate push.

Afterwards, he'd never be quite certain of who closed the short distance between them first but all he knew was that suddenly their lips met in a heated kiss.

Her arms slid up around his neck, pulling him closer as she opened her mouth to allow him entrance. Their tongues clashed eliciting a small moan from him as he clutched her even more urgently to him.

A sudden loud knocking at the door brought him back to his senses and to the reality of what he was doing. He wrenched his mouth away from hers, an apology ready on his lips for his actions.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he muttered, not able to meet her eyes as he released his bruising hold and almost thrust her away as he stepped back to put some distance between them.

Breathing heavily, he couldn't believe what he'd just done. It felt like a betrayal of his own heart to have kissed Lisbon when it wasn't really her. He knew he could make up all kinds of excuses as to why it'd happened but it would nevertheless be wrong. He touched shaky fingers to his still tingling lips and looked up as the knocking came again. Still not looking at Sarah, he mumbled something about seeing who was there and walked away. He pulled open the door and saw Cho standing on the other side.

"Hey, I saw your lights on and thought I'd check on you before I went back to the hospital," the agent said then frowned when he saw the consultant's flushed face and stepped across the threshold and into the room. "You OK?"

Before Jane could answer, Cho noticed Lisbon standing in the middle of the room. He saw that she, too, looked a little dazed and flustered and his gaze slid from one to the other consideringly.

"Sarah couldn't sleep so I offered her some tea," the consultant lied smoothly when he caught the direction of Cho's gaze.

"Huh."

"I also came to ask Jane if he could break what Red John had done to me," Lisbon announced, her face impassive.

Cho turned to the consultant with a frown.

"I thought I told you…" he began censuring the blond only to stop as it dawned on him what Sarah had said. He looked back at her, a small rarely seen smile playing on his lips as he asked hesitantly, "Lisbon?"

She nodded, a smile suddenly blooming on her lips as she wiped away an errant tear that had fallen down her cheek. She looked over at Jane and saw that although his own eyes were brimming, he was also sporting the megawatt grin she loved so much. Without caring what Cho thought, she walked over to the blond and lifted her arms. There was a momentary look of trepidation as if he wasn't quite sure of what she was going to do then relief filled his gaze as she pulled him in for a warm hug.

The consultant wrapped his arms around Lisbon tightly and closed his eyes with a smile as he rested his head against hers and relished the feel of her in his arms once more. For a moment he'd thought that she might punch him on the nose for the kiss they'd shared but he was pleasantly surprised he realised she wanted a hug instead. He had no doubt they'd have a conversation about what happened later but for right now he was just eternally grateful that the woman he adored more than life itself was actually back.

"Thank you, Patrick," he heard her whisper.

"You're welcome, Teresa," he murmured in reply.

Cho watched the pair with an indulgent smile and happy heart. Now that Red John was out of the picture, he hoped that the pair would actually make a go of things. From where he was standing it certainly looked as though they could finally be on the right track.

END CHAPTER 11


	12. Epilogue

Lisbon sank down onto the comfortable couch with a contented sigh. Looking around, her gaze touched on the familiar objects dotted about the reasonably spacious room. It was good to be finally in her office again.

It had been a long day ending with a medical to pronounce her well enough to return to work. She'd then met with her new boss who'd given her back her badge and gun before delivering a short speech about what he expected from her now. She had nodded politely then headed straight down to the bullpen and the sanctuary of her office.

The rest of the team had expressed their delight at having her back before they'd finally left for the day. Cho was glad to hand the leadership reins back over to her, Rigsby, who had only come back the week before, and Van Pelt were just pleased to see their boss back where she belonged.

Now she was alone.

She'd had so many psych evaluations in the past couple of weeks that she'd been starting to think she'd never get her job back.

Still, considering she'd been abducted and hypnotised by Red John, she wasn't surprised that there were certain…reservations as to whether something nasty was going to crop up at some point.

In truth, she'd had some concerns about that herself. She felt completely normal but there'd be times when she'd wonder if the killer had put some weird trigger in her head that nobody had been able to find and one day she'd do something completely crazy.

It was a disconcerting thought but one that she'd tried to keep at bay. It did her no good worrying anyway; she had no way of knowing until, or if it ever, happened so it was pointless.

Then there was the fact that she had failed to return to her apartment yet. She was annoyed at herself for being such a coward but the thought of going back to where she'd been kidnapped and a poor woman had lost her life just didn't have any appeal.

Until today that was, when Cho had passed on a very interesting piece of information about a certain consultant that had her deciding she was going back tonight whatever awful memories it induced.

Her mind drifted back to that fateful night just over a month before and she couldn't contain the slight shudder that ran through her body. Even now, as she went over everything that happened again, she wondered if she could've been quicker, stronger…more alert.

Red John had grabbed her from behind when she'd entered her apartment and injected her with something that had her unconscious in seconds. She'd awoken not too long after to find herself tied to one of her chairs and the murderer sitting calmly in front of her toying with a knife.

She'd honestly thought he was going to kill her then and her only concern was, not for herself, but of how it would affect Jane when he found her. He'd suffered so much heartache in his life and she knew that losing her to the same man that had butchered his family would more than likely break him.

It was a shock when the killer had gotten up and walked around behind her, trailing his hand up her arm and lingering at her neck as he came around to stand in front of her. He'd bent down and started talking to her in a tone of voice she recognised from when Jane attempted to put someone into a trance. As soon as she'd realised what he was doing, she'd fought against the urge to succumb but the drug had made her more susceptible and weakened her strength of mind.

She didn't remember much more after that until she awoke to find Meyer looking in at her through the car window and her time as Sarah Parsons began. She remembered everything from those couple of weeks but it was if she were replaying it from someone else's point of view. It was an odd feeling but one she thankfully didn't have to worry about any longer due to her tenacious consultant.

Letting out another sigh her thoughts abruptly turned to Patrick Jane, which then led to her focussing on the way he'd broken the hypnosis…and what had followed afterwards.

More specifically; the kiss.

The kiss she'd instigated. As soon as that wall in her mind had come tumbling down and all the fear had miraculously disappeared along with the aching in her head, she'd quickly realised she was in his arms and simply couldn't help herself.

She'd tried telling herself that it was a spur of the moment thing because she was so grateful that he'd saved her but it had only taken her a day or so to admit to herself that her feelings for him had already begun making themselves known long before she was kidnapped. The whole thing with Lorelei had really opened up a can of seriously jealous worms that she'd been progressively having trouble keeping a lid on. So it wasn't any great surprise that she had acted on the latent desire; she knew she'd have eventually given in to her feelings anyway.

The only problem was that she hadn't spoken to him about it. She was embarrassed about her lack of restraint and considering how he'd reacted afterwards she assumed that he wasn't ready to talk about what happened either.

In truth, it hadn't really been that awkward between them but then they'd seen only each other briefly over the last few weeks and only during work time. He wasn't avoiding her exactly, but he also wasn't constantly in her personal space. There, but not there and she couldn't decide if some of it was due to the CBI keeping close tabs on her or whether he was simply distancing himself.

Both probably. With Red John gone, there really wasn't anything to keep him at the CBI any longer. She felt her stomach drop a little at the thought of him possibly thinking of leaving but knew he had more right than anyone to try and finally have a normal life.

The rest of the team had kept an eye on her. It was to be expected until her evaluations were over and it had surprisingly been very enlightening as they'd all told her what had happened while she was missing. Predictably, everything appeared to have centred round Jane.

How Red John had contacted him and taunted him with her death. How the consultant had really got that scar on his arm. She felt ill when Cho had informed her exactly how close that had actually been. And also how he'd been so single-mindedly determined to find her. From what they said, he'd never once given up or entertained the thought that Red John had lied and had really killed her anyway. Cho thought that the consultant had transferred his desire for finding Red John into finding her instead. It made sense, but she'd also realised that by doing that he probably hadn't had any time to process the fact that his quest for the revenge of his family was finally over. There had to be a hell of a lot of baggage for him to deal with and it wouldn't surprise her if their kiss were the straw that broke the camel's back and why he'd kept his distance.

She didn't blame him. She just missed him.

Subconsciously, she touched her hand to her mouth, thinking of his lips on hers as she had done many, many times everyday since it had happened. They'd been so soft; so tender; so demanding.

Many months ago he'd declared his love for her, or so she thought, but apart from her stumbling attempt at asking him about it and his refusal to acknowledge it, they'd not spoken of it again. Just like the kiss.

It was from that point on, while he had interrogated Lorelei and they'd grown closer to catching Red John, that she'd begun to question the extent of her own feelings for him. It hadn't taken her long to recognise that they ran far deeper than she'd ever realised. She loved him too. Was in love with him. Had been for quite a while and she'd actually laughed at herself for being so blind to it. Some cop she was…

"Hell, woman, quieten down! You're thinking so loudly it's hurting my head."

Lisbon gave a little start of surprise and blushed as she quickly dropped her hand to her lap and looked up at her visitor with an irritated frown. Speak of the devil. If she ever did go crazy one day, she knew it'd be down to the blond consultant lounging nonchalantly in her doorway with his hands in his pockets, rather than any trigger some evil serial killer had implanted in her brain.

"What do you want, Jane?" she asked, adopting her best, resigned tone reserved especially for him.

"Oh, just thought I'd check on our fearless leader…but Cho's gone so I decided to come and see you instead," he replied, giving her one of his most charming smiles.

"Nice!" she groused with indignation as he left the doorway and sauntered over to sit next to her on the couch. Close, but not too close. "Now you've seen me, you can go."

Jane chuckled as he leaned back further into the soft leather then folded his arms and simply drank in the sight of her. He'd missed her these past few weeks but he knew she'd be well looked after and so he'd taken the opportunity to take some time to try and sort out his own life.

It hadn't been quite as bad as he'd expected. After all these years he'd finally allowed himself to grieve properly. There had been tears and anger and self pity and remorse but he'd worked through them all in the knowledge that Red John was dead and he'd managed to save woman that he now loved.

Naturally, he still carried around the guilt of Angela and Charlotte's deaths and rightly so, he should never forget what had happened and he wouldn't. They'd always be with him, but now he remembered them as they were, not just as he'd found them that dreadful day and it left him feeling freer than he had in years. At long last, he was in a good place and more than ready to move on. He just hoped he could convince Lisbon to go along with him.

He thought he could…if that kiss they'd shared were anything to go by. He'd thought about it often but it'd only been in the last few days that he'd realised that she must have been herself when it'd happened. Not only that but she had been the one to kiss him. His epiphany had been a relief and it was one piece of guilt of which he quite readily let go.

The light touch of Lisbon's hand on his arm brought him back to the present and he realised that his mind had drifted for a few seconds. Seeing the concern on her face, he marvelled at how she could be worried about him when she was getting over a huge ordeal herself. Giving her a reassuring smile, he continued to study her face.

She didn't look so tired anymore he noted, relieved to know that she was sleeping better now. Her cheeks still held a slight rosy hue, which he really hoped was down to her thinking about him, and her hair…

Her hair was back to its natural, glossy shade of dark brown almost black, the colour emphasising her green eyes far more than the red tint ever had. "You look like…you," he commented softly as his gaze continued to roam slowly over her face.

She tilted her head slightly wondering whether to offer him a smart retort but stopped short at the intense, warm look in his cerulean eyes as he smiled at her tenderly. She blinked. For the first time since she'd known him, he didn't appear to have that air of tortured, wretchedness that seemed to doggedly hover just beneath the jovial façade he usually wore. He seemed to be finally at peace with himself. She couldn't help but smile back at him, her cheeks reddening a little more.

"Thanks," she finally replied, sincerely. "I went to my local salon. It's good to be me again too. If it weren't for you, I'd still be plain old Sarah Parsons from telemarketing."

The blond tutted derisively.

"Oh, come now, Lisbon, we both know you could never be plain," he rebuked chidingly.

Her eyes widened at his off-handed compliment and she felt her cheeks grow even hotter. She wasn't quite sure how to deal with this new Jane that was sitting beside her and cleared her throat slightly before attempting to prod the conversation onto safer ground.

Naturally, whenever she felt uncomfortable she went for the attack.

"So, Cho told me that you stayed at my place while I was gone," she stated her tone faintly accusing as she narrowed her eyes to look at him. "You went through all my stuff, didn't you?"

Jane looked surprised and a little affronted at the allegation.

"First of all, I didn't go through all of your stuff…some of it maybe, but definitely not all," he rectified in a hurt tone. "And secondly, I prefer to think of it as me doing you a favour by looking after your apartment until you returned. You know, the usual house sitter kind of things; watering the plants, feeding the cat…"

"Cat?!" Lisbon interjected in surprise. "Jane, I don't have a cat!"

The blond looked back at her with a slight frown.

"Huh," he grunted as he glanced down, apparently processing that piece of information before looking up at her again in perplexity. "Really? You don't have a cat?"

She shook her head and he unfolded an arm to tap a forefinger thoughtfully on his chin.

"Well, that's very odd because she kind of reminds me of you. I thought she had to be yours."

"What?" she questioned in amused disbelief. Only Jane would compare her to a cat. "In what way? You're the one who sleeps all day, I think it'd be more like you."

Jane smiled and shook his head as he turned slightly to look at her, his face sobering as he took in her happy features. Reaching out his hand, he gently took hold of a lock of her hair, rolling the fine strands between his fingers as he replied softly, "No; she's a tiny little thing with shiny black fur, the biggest green eyes I've ever seen…and a crotchety inclination to lash out at me when I'm least expecting it. I'm completely smitten."

Lisbon felt her breath hitch slightly as she stared back him. The feel of his hand on her hair and the almost mesmerising quality of his voice had her leaning closer and closer to him as he spoke. She could feel his warm breath ripple gently across her cheek as her mind raced at his thinly veiled implication, unsure whether to believe him this time or not. Why couldn't the man just be honest for once and tell her outright how he felt without being so Goddamn obtuse? He'd covered himself again, just in case…

Just in case she didn't feel the same, she realised with sudden clarity. She smiled. The stupid, stupid idiot. As if there were anyone else for her after all these years.

She was so close now that the consultant had to use all of his considerable willpower not to just lean in a kiss her senseless. He watched the play of emotions on Lisbon's face, half fearing her outright rejection and his free hand sought out to clasp around hers in an effort to keep her from bolting. She kept her cards even closer to her chest than he did and that what saying something. And then she smiled. His heart soared and he was about to claim the kiss he'd denied himself when, without warning, she struck out at him and knocked his hand away from her hair.

"Crotchety?" he heard her say in an offended tone.

Jane sat back and silently mouthed the word, "Ow," as he rubbed his arm. Grimacing slightly at uncomfortable stinging sensation her slap had caused he scowled in annoyance. So damn close.

"Good God, woman! Here I am bearing my soul to you and that's the word you choose to focus on?" he grumbled in exasperation.

Lisbon let out a snort of laughter.

"You mean as opposed to, 'smitten'?" she queried sardonically, one eyebrow raised.

"It's a perfectly acceptable word to convey how I feel," he replied defensively before looking away and adding in an aggrieved mutter, "And more than you've ever said to me."

Her amusement faded as she saw that he looked genuinely hurt and she automatically reached out to take his hand in hers. Clasping it tightly, it took her a second or two to register the absence of the metal band that used to reside in his fourth finger and she looked down at their joined hands in surprise. Sure enough, his wedding ring was gone. Slowly, she looked back up to find him staring at her intently, the enormity of his gesture reflecting in the love emanating from his gaze.

"Are you sure?" she asked on barely a whisper.

"Very sure," he replied without hesitation.

And there it was, she realised all of a sudden, the trigger that would make her do something crazy. She'd just known it'd be him.

Leaning forward, she gently laid her free hand against his chest then closed the gap between them to tentatively press her lips to his, initiating a soft kiss. Jane closed his eyes at the first gentle touch of her mouth, letting her lead for a few moments before taking control. Raising his hand, he slid it up her neck to entwine in her long hair, holding her in place as he sought to deepen the kiss. Tongues met and danced until the need to breathe caused him to tear his lips from hers but only long enough to begin a trail of heated kisses along her jaw and down her neck.

"I love you, Teresa," he murmured as her head tilted back to allow him better access.

"Mmmm," she hummed in reply, barely registering what he'd said.

Lost even further in the moment, he leaned against her and she capitulated readily. Soon she was pinned beneath him on the couch, the air around them punctuated by heavy sighs and moans as their arousal for each other threatened to spiral out of control.

The sound of a door slamming and the intermittent squeak of wheels abruptly brought their surroundings back into sharp focus and they hurriedly sat up. Straightening their clothing, Lisbon looked down at herself to find a few of her shirt buttons undone. Blushing, she quickly did them back up and found herself having a whole new appreciation for the deftness of her consultant's hands. She hadn't felt a thing.

Looking over at the blond sitting next to her, she felt her cheeks redden even more as he grinned back knowingly and gave her a wink. Rolling her eyes, she raised her arms and ran her fingers through her hair to try to tame what was undoubtedly a tangled mess. The movement naturally caused her back to arch therefore pushing her out chest in an unintentional erotic pose. A sharp intake of breath from the man beside her had her turning to him in surprise. He looked enthralled, his gaze riveted on her body and a hint of feminine pride lit up her eyes when she realised that her innocent gesture had inadvertently sparked quite a reaction. This time it was she who winked at him when he finally dragged his gaze back to hers causing him to shake his head with a wry smile.

They both stood up as the squeaking wheels drew nearer and the night janitor came into view walking slowly along the corridor.

"We'd better go," she said as she grabbed her bag and coat.

Jane joined her at the door and they nodded a greeting at the cleaner before heading towards the elevator.

She pushed the call button and waited. Out the corner of her eye, she saw Jane shove his hands into his pockets then roll back on his heels before rolling forward onto his toes and down again. It was a patented move that let her know he had something to say.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning her head to look at him.

"Nothing," he replied, all innocence.

Lisbon eyed him suspiciously for a moment then turned back to the elevator. She patiently stood there through two more of his foot rolls but on the third she'd had enough.

"Alright, just tell me what it is you want to say," she demanded, the annoyance plain to see on her face as she turned fully to confront him. "Come on, out with it."

"I don't know what you mean," the blond denied.

Lisbon folded her arms and gave him a glare that lesser men would have run from.

'Ah, it's good to see her back,' Jane thought to himself before taking a step towards her. "OK, it's nothing really…just that…you haven't actually said that you love me yet and well," he paused to smile disarmingly before adding, "a man does kind of like to hear that sort of thing…especially after he's just put out."

The brunette agent let out a surprised burst of laughter and shook her head at his cheek.

"Well?" he prompted expectantly.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Not when you've just told me to!" Lisbon retorted irately, her whole demeanour telling him that her answer should've been obvious.

His face fell a little and he gave a quick nod as he looked down with a mumbled, "OK."

The agent turned away from him, determined not to cave in to the deafening silence that now reigned. She punched the call button twice more wondering where the hell the elevator was and then, hearing a heavy sigh come from the man behind her, she suddenly couldn't take it anymore.

"OK! Alright!" she all but yelled as she turned to face him again. "I love you, Patrick! Is that good enough for you? Are you happy now?"

The consultant looked at her for a moment as if considering the question seriously.

"Honestly? I could've done without the shouting," he finally admitted, ignoring her huff of annoyance to move forward right into her personal space and look down at her with a tender smile. "But yes, I am happy now."

In the blink of an eye, all of Lisbon's anger completely evaporated as she stared back at his handsome face. He'd meant it so much more than just in answer to her question that she couldn't resist going on tiptoes to give him a lingering kiss.

The elevator dinged and the door slid smoothly open as she pulled away and took hold of his ringless hand. His eyelids fluttered open a few seconds later, as if awakening from a dream and he smiled contentedly at her.

"Come on, let's go home," she said, pulling him into the cabin behind her. He eagerly went with her, his smile faltering slightly as she added, "And if I find a cat in my apartment, you are so not getting lucky tonight."

"Don't worry, you won't," he hurriedly assured her as the door slid shut and they began their descent. Jane raised their entwined hands and brushed his lips over the back of her knuckles before adding quietly, "I left her with your neighbour for a couple of days."

"Jane!"

The consultant laughed and pulled her into his tight embrace before cutting off any of her further protestations with a searing kiss. He knew they still had a lot to talk through but for now it could wait. They had plenty of time ahead of them.

Finally, after all these years, he was free to be with her.

Free to love her.

And he couldn't wait to get started.

THE END


End file.
